Ireland were impressive in their win over Italy; Lebanon rose to the challenge against France; and Scotland will be targeting their match against Samoa

It is usually difficult to draw any conclusions from the first round of games at any major tournament but, typically, the Rugby League World Cup is different. The lop-sided nature of the draw for a 14-team cup (which, thank goodness, will be last of its kind as we finally get back to 16 teams for the first time since 2000) means that in the four-team groups, every side is only really targeting one match. Lebanon and France knew a quarter-final place was up for grabs when they met in Canberra on Sunday. Lebanon’s celebrations after their first win at a World Cup said everything about what that meant to them, while France are almost certainly condemned to a pointless campaign.

Ireland’s surgical dissection of Italy on a white-hot Sunday afternoon here in Cairns suggested that they should give Papua New Guinea a real test in Port Moresby next weekend. Australian journalists and fans I spoke with all seemed surprised by the Irish. The Italians played as if they were surprised too and the bookies certainly got it badly wrong – a few odds-setters must have had uncomfortable meetings on Monday morning. One look down the Ireland team revealed a whole clutch of top Super League talents, a huge amount of experience in the masterful Liam Finn, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook – terrific on debut and surely the first Millwall fan to score a try in a Rugby League World Cup – the returning Mickey McIlorum and Kyle “seen it all before” Amor.

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Amor and McCarthy-Scarsbrook had, very sensibly, shorn off their locks before they arrived in the tropics. Wise move. That left only the flying Toronto winger Liam Kay and Leeds forward Anthony Mullally as hirsute Wolfhounds. The vegan Mullally even provided us with the undignified and unattractive vision of two rutting top buns during a heated debate with Italy’s similarly coiffured Brendan Santi.

Italy were a huge disappointment, the contrast in half-backs proving a fatal challenge. While Ireland were led around the field by unflappable Finn (who also goal-kicked as brilliantly as usual) and London Broncos’ Irish-Kiwi Api Pewhairangi, Italy were without the injured Terry Campese, and partnered Under-20s greenhorn Jack Johns with local hooker (just to clarify: he plays No9 and is from around these parts) Ryan Ghietti before an arm injury brought Johns’ unhappy afternoon to a premature end. The mantra “no halves, no direction” rang true.

While the losers of USA v Italy on Sunday will be out, Ireland need a repeat performance in Papua New Guinea to knock the effervescent Kumuls off their perch. On home territory, backed by a manic crowd, Papua New Guinea already look good to win Pool C and face England in the quarter-finals but Ireland should prove a far tougher test than a hapless Wales were on Saturday. John Kear’s under-strength side must somehow cope with Fiji on Sunday as their 17-year wait for a World Cup win looks likely to extend to 21.

To the contrary, Scotland coach Steve McCormack headed off to Christchurch having said his Scotland team “had their pride dented” by their humbling at the hands of Tonga but were in otherwise good shape. Their priority is to avoid injuries and humiliation by the Kiwis and hope Tonga give Samoa a serious bashing. Remember, one win in Pool B will send Samoa or the Bravehearts through in third. Both have been targeting that game from the off.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Abbas Miski of Lebanon falls short of scoring a try against France in Canberra/ Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

Country call: Fiji

Those of you who attend major sports tournaments probably only treasure a couple of moments years later. One such moment came on Saturday night after the press conference. Following triumphant but humble Fiji skipper Kevin Naiqama and coach Mick Potter back towards the dressing room, a joyous song broke out. No one stopped reporters rushing in to watch the scene. The whole Bati squad were singing beautifully, clapping along and having an absolute ball. The lyrics suggest the Devil is a loser, man. I knew straightaway I would take that memory with me.

No Helmets Required (@NoHelmetsReq) Anyone still wondering why stars like @JarrydHayne & @ashtonsims26 are playing for @fijirugbyleague? Watch this. @RLWC2017 #magnificent pic.twitter.com/kKI2MrDRhx

Another thing TV viewers may also have missed is that many of the sides have arrived and departed the grounds in their national dress. The Fiji, Tonga and Scotland squads all wore their traditional “skirts” and all looked magnificent. Big, hard tattooed men in dresses: this World Cup has got it all.

Domestic quota

There was an interesting debate after the Fiji-USA game late on Saturday night in the press box at the Willows Sports Complex outside Townsville. Hawks coach Brian McDermott had just said he was going to give all of his squad a game during the tournament, including the half-dozen amateur domestic players, in the hope that they take the experience back to their USARL clubs.

“Every bloke needs to play,” said Super League’s champion coach. “It’s pointless if they don’t. That’s part of my objective. I need to leave USA rugby league in a far better state at the end of the tournament than at the start and that is not reliant on the scores. We’ve got to bite the bullet and let them experience it and then take that back. Joe Eichner came on and smashed a few – he even knocked himself out at one stage. It was good to see Andrew Kneisly put himself about and Ryan Burroughs got stuck in.” Jarryd Hayne thought Toronto Wolfpack winger Burroughs was one of the Hawks’ best players on the night, and coach Mick Potter considered the Americans’ “long-term view” to be “admirable”.

The debate was whether these players would really return to the USARL with this knowledge given most of them want to play at a higher level than that and whether the States need to field as good a team as possible now, given they are likely to host the 2025 World Cup. Many Hawks players have experienced Australia’s lower tiers recently and some are targeting the Wolfpack or the new New York club for 2019.

What we do know is the American players loved it. “This is the highest level I will play, it’s a feather in my cap,” said Josh Rice, the Hawaiain Hiawatha replacing his head band with Stetson post-match above his shoulder length locks. “Some of the guys on top of me were bigger than I am used to and you notice the pace. It took a while to get comfortable, then I thought: ‘Alright, this is how it’s going to go!’”

Goal-line drop-out

Unlike what I have heard about some bigger cities, Cairns has really embraced the World Cup. The council have put on community events and decorated roundabouts and civic statues, and the local media are loving having players from around the world come to town. As well as discussing the World Cup at every turn, ABC Far North radio had two rugby league-related interviews on Monday, with London-based Australian RL guru Steve Mascord promoting his wonderful memoir Touchstones and me discussing June 1953 when the American All Stars came to Cairns and were furious to be denied a momentous victory by a dodgy late penalty decision by a local referee, who later admitted in the hotel bar: “You leave tomorrow. I have to live here!”

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At our joint launch event at Brothers Leagues club – why on earth don’t British football clubs have these lucrative venues – we were joined by a couple of England fans who had travelled up from Melbourne and would follow England to Sydney this weekend.

The TV audience for Australia v England was considered a huge one by Aussie media. It did not include many of the Scotland team, though. Half a dozen or so, led by Danny Brough, went fishing in the dark down at Cairns Wharf!

Fifth and last

The new eligibility rules have certainly aided Tonga but it is still weird to see so many teams field players who have played previously for another country. Eight of the 14 teams here have players capped by someone else at another World Cup alone, included three players appearing for two “tier two” nations. Joseph Paulo has swapped between Samoa and the USA numerous times, while the Bentley brothers – Kane and Andrew – were born in New Zealand, are eligible for Samoa, and were brought up in France, for whom they last played in the quarter-finals of the 2013 World Cup against England. They both made their Scotland debuts on Sunday courtesy of their grandfather from Duntocher in Dunbartonshire, (as did NZ Warrior James Bell, whose paternal grandfather emigrated from Aberdeen in 1948) and were proud as punch.

“It’s hard to explain but playing for France always felt a little strange as even though we’d grown up there, we weren’t French,” Kane told me. “This feels right. We are Scottish through blood, as the whole squad is. We all have the same Scottish connection.” They will have over 30 friends and family – including their parents flying over from their home in Duras – to see them play NZ in Christchurch on Saturday.

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