England enjoy Paris romp

Myler: Hat-trick for England

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England ran in 12 tries during a comprehensive 66-12 thumping of France in their mid-season international in Paris on Saturday.

Coach Tony Smith was looking for a boost after England's dismal World Cup campaign, and took the chance to field young side full of in-form players for a match with the under-strength French.

England responded with 19-year-old Salford scrum-half Richie Myler claiming a hat-trick of tries, with the others coming from Michael Shenton, Danny McGuire, Peter Fox (two), Ryan Hall, Shaun Briscoe (two), James Roby and Sam Burgess.

Myler took his haul for the evening to 30 points with nine conversions, six of those coming before the interval which England went into 44-0 up.

France, led for the first time by former Great Britain scrum-half Bobbie Goulding, were embarrassed in the first half but improved after the break, with Jean-Philippe Baile and Cyrille Gossard getting their tries and Thomas Bosc booting two conversions.

Quick start

It only took eight minutes for England to claim their first try - and after that, it was a procession in front a sparse crowd at the Stade Jean-Bouin.

Atkins took a pass on the burst down the left channel to go over for the opener, before McGuire started and finished a length-of-the-field move for number two.

It was embarrassingly easy early on and Myler grabbed a quick brace, and converted to make if four in a row, but then missed the next two following scores by wing duo Hall and Fox.

Briscoe picked up a brace of tries, converted by Myler, before the half-time bell, which would have been music to the ears of Goulding.

France were first out for the second half, no doubt with their ears ringing after 10 minutes with Goulding, and they were far better after the break.

They managed to put points on the board in the 43rd minute when Baile ran onto a Bosc kick to catch and ground in one movement.

Two replacements combined for England's ninth try, Eorl Crabtree popping up a pass for Roby to crash over, while Myler completed his hat-trick and Burgess went over for two more.

Fox and Gossard traded scores in the final 10 minutes but the night was comfortably England's.