Rampant England stroll over French

England warmed up for the World Cup with a powerful second-half performance on a balmy evening in Toulouse to sweep aside a woeful France by 56-8.

Coach Tony Smith was hoping for encouraging signs ahead of the trip to Australia at the end of the season and he saw them in abundance in this Gillette international at the Ernest Wallon Stadium.

Warrington centre Martin Gleeson, whose place in the side had been under threat, responded with a hat-trick of tries while Hull KR winger Peter Fox touched down on his debut.

There were also sparkling displays from stand-off Leon Pryce, who was named man of the match, and loose forward Kevin Sinfield while the French simply had no answer to the rampaging runs of front-row forwards Jamie Peacock and Adrian Morley.

France, with nine players in their ranks from Super League high fliers Catalans Dragons, were second best in most departments but scrambled well enough to keep the visitors in check by half-time, when England's lead was restricted to 16-8.

But, after scoring 97 points in their last two home games against Wigan and Warrington, the Catalans players were handed a taste of their own medicine by conceding seven tries without reply in the second half.

The ever-impressive Sinfield finished with five conversions in front of a crowd of 8,326.