Hat-trick hero Hall throws down gauntlet to Tomkins

The prolific Leeds Rhinos winger took his international tally to 17 in as many games as he scored a hat-trick inside the opening 22 minutes of Saturday’s 42-0 World Cup rout of Ireland.

It saw him overtake team-mate Sam Tomkins, the Wigan Warriors full-back who has 16 in 17 and exactly 12 months previously broke Alf Ellaby’s long-standing record of 13 set in 1935.

Unusually, the 24-year-old did not score in the eight-try demolition of Ireland, which effectively seals England’s quarter-final spot but still leaves Steve McNamara’s side needing to win their final Group A game against Fiji at Hull on Saturday to secure second place.

“I didn’t know until after the game that was the case,” said Hall, 25, when asked about the feat he had just achieved. “It is pleasing for myself; try-scoring is a winger’s game. But there is a long way ahead and lots of games.

“Sam is a great player and has got a long career ahead of him so I haven’t nailed him yet by any means.”

Former Hull winger Tom Briscoe, who will join Hall at Headingley next season, also scored twice as he replaced Josh Charnley, Super League’s top try-scorer this season who had a slight shoulder niggle.

“It’s quite healthy with the competition,” admitted Hall, who now has four in the tournament after crossing in their opening defeat to Australia.

“It gives Steve Mac a nightmare when he is picking the side which is good because it means we are all on our toes for every game.

“That’s what a team needs in a World Cup and having Tom at Leeds next year makes it exciting for me.

“The most pleasing thing was to get the zero. The defence stood up to what they threw at us which was pleasing.

“We scored some early points when the ball was dry and got off to a good start like we did the previous week.

“But we had a 10-minute dip that didn’t go so well. We let Ireland get a foothold in the game.”

Hall is beginning to forge a quality partnership with Leroy Cudjoe, the Huddersfield Giants centre who supplied the final pass for each of his three tries and generally terrorised the Irish.

“We identified throughout the season he was a good player for Huddersfield,” he said of the Dream Team representative.

“He has been quite a handful when we have played against him. But it’s great to be on the other side of the coin and be on the same side. He creates a lot of space for me.”

Fiji will offer a far sterner test having defeated Ireland and – despite the 34-2 scoreline suggesting otherwise – giving Australia a few problems too on Saturday night.

“They are a big physical side; that is one of the traits they have got,” admitted Hall. “That’s what we are expecting.”

Before kick-off at Huddersfield, McNamara reacted angrily to a suggestion that Leeds full-back Zak Hardaker had been sent home for drinking.

He told a television reporter: “Absolutely not. You people are making things up to disrupt my squad.”

Hardaker – not in the 19-man match-day squad – was apparently absent from the ground due to “illness”.