England should think about the partisan crowd third, with the Tongan team second behind the English overcoming themselves. Yes the win against PNG was achieved with relative ease, but the ball-handling errors, or rather the number of them, would be suicide against better opposition. Burgess, upon his much trumpeted return, was one of the main culprits. The first time Bongser has done a "throughy" with a day's work beckoning (it was a long one) for the best part of two decades was rewarded with that dross. Ta boys! Step it up for the semi or DP is shelling out fo' nowt.

On another issue, whilst Brown appeared to be compus mentis for the rest of the half and at the (brief and meaningless) HT pitchside interview, he should have been yanked after the head hit (and Floweresque follow up) as he was obviously sparko as the oppo teams handbagged over his prone body. Only pulling him at HT (Rodney Marsh, Alf Ramsey jokes aside) isn't the example that should be set in a showpiece WC match. If some head problem were (God forbid) to develop later, would the insurance company shell out under the circumstances? They are, after all, wrigglier than Phil "the rubber man" Ford. Not impressed.

I was curious to witness that, in the light of Jamie Acton's much publicised (and dangerous) foul on Bird. To my mind, the PNG guy's follow through on a seemingly unconscious player, was just as dangerous - if not identical. The initial injury to Brown was caused by an unfortunate clash of heads, but what happened next doesn't even seem to have even been reviewed.

Completely different to Actons actions. What I find astounding is they required (not available at the time) video playback to see what injury has occurred! What sort of a doctors that?

As I said, "not identical" but, in my mind, just as dangerous - and unnecessary.

As for the medical "efforts", thank goodness for social media, and a non-playing member of the squad realising what had happened!

Yes as you said Alan "If not identical" .. Lots of technical rules have been ignored in the WC,but ignoring a players welfare both on and off the pitch is diabolical.