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England TV: Cumbria Post Match

2,236 views · Published 4 October 2010 · 2:30 · Indexed 6 October 2026

Channel: Rugby League · 2010 · Sports

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England TV spoke to Coach and squad after the game

England were held to a shock draw by an impressive Cumbria in their warm-up match for the Four Nations Series in Australia and New Zealand at an emotional Recreation Ground in Whitehaven.

An England side boasting up to a dozen members of the likely tour party which will be announced on Monday were never able to shake off a Cumbrian team that played with tremendous spirit and three times fought back deservedly to level the scores.

The match kicked off late to allow the 5,250 crowd to pack into the ground and was played initially amid a sombre atmosphere as the spectators paid tribute to former Workington and Whitehaven forward Garry Purdham, who was a victim of the June 2 Cumbria shooting.

But Cumbria, led superbly by Garry's younger brother Rob Purdham, the Harlequins and England loose forward, and Super League wingmen Ade Gardner and Will Sharp, quickly lifted the spirits of the crowd with a performance fit for the occasion.

Leeds' former Whitehaven forward Kyle Amor scored Cumbria's first-half try, converted by Purdham, to equalise England's opening try by Harlequins centre Tony Clubb.

It remained 6-6 until three minutes before half-time when prop forward Garreth Carvell powered through for a second England try and his Warrington team-mate Ben Westwood kicked a second conversion to make it 12-6.

The most popular score came six minutes into the second half when Purdham came up with a half-break to create a try for John Paul Brocklebank, one of two players from Garry Purdham's amateur club Egremont Rangers.

There were signs of fatigue in the Cumbrian ranks when scrum half Richie Myler went past some tired tackling for a try that restored England's lead on 53 minutes.

But Whitehaven centre Scott McAvoy found a second wind when he went 40 metres for a glorious third try nine minutes from the end and Gregg McNally's goal levelled the scores.

Warrington hooker Mickey Higham went desperately close to snatching victory for England, knocking on as he stretched for the line, and Cumbria celebrated at the final whistle as if they had won.

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