England impress Furner

England's Stuart Spruce is tackled Fiji's Lote Tuqiri

Former Kangaroo coach Don Furner has boosted England's World Cup hopes by insisting they can go the distance against reigning champions Australia.

England booked their place in the quarter-finals with an emphatic 66-10 rout of Furner's Fijians in their last Group One match at Headingley.

England matched Australia's 66-point haul against the Pacific Islanders, with skipper Andy Farrell equalling Steve Prescott's record of 22 points in a match.

Furner, who was coach of the all-conquering 1986 Kangaroo tourists, said: "England are a very good side.

"With guys like Andy Farrell leading the way and with smart halves and pace in the centres, they have got to have a chance against any side in the world.

"You have got to have defence and discipline to go with it and I would say at this stage that Australia are the best defensive side ever because of their commitment and superior fitness."

Delighted: John Kear

After failing to breach the Australian line in their Group One opener, England have now run up 142 points in their last two matches against Russia and Fiji.

Coach John Kear was delighted with his side's performance against the Fijians.

"I am very satisfied, we looked very sharp indeed. I was very happy with our defence," said Kear.

"It was a good benchmark against Australia, another good step against Russia and this was a massive step today."

England man-of-the-match Tony Smith, who was stand-off in the 1995 World Cup final, revelled in his new role of hooker.

"I think my extra pace around the rucks was beneficial," he said.

"Fiji were just what we expected. They kept the ball alive and it was a better performance than against Russia."