Lewsey's five-try record a 'dream'

Woodward: 'Balshaw injury not serious'

England fullback Josh Lewsey was delighted after scoring five tries during his country's 111-13 victory over RWC Pool C minnows Uruguay in Brisbane on Sunday. Lewsey became just the third England player to do so, joining Rory Underwood and Daniel Lambert.

"Yes, you do dream about it - it's the stuff boyhood dreams are made of," said Lewsey after the game.

"Rory Underwood's an absolute legend and it's very nice to mentioned alongside him. I wasn't aware about the record until afterwards. It's always nice to score and I didn't against Georgia."

The last time England played on the ground was against Australia in 1998 - England lost 76-0 in what is now known as the 'Tour to Hell'.

Lewsey made his England debut on the New Zealand leg of the tour.

"If you're English you hurt that night," said Lewsey. "It's been a long road from there, but in adversity and difficult situations you learn more.

"Clive and the players learned a lot from it and it's taken a few years to come to fruition and now its started to bear fruit."

The win confirmed England as the winners of Pool C, ahead of runners-up South Africa, and the 26-year-old Wasps utility back was quick to label the 17-try victory "a team effort".

"The way the back three plays is indicative of how the team plays," he said. "The guys up front win the ball and the guys in midfield give us the time and space.

"If the guys give you the ball on the front foot it helps, and Catty and Stuart [Abbott] were superb. Iain Balshaw looked very sharp - he's always been a world-class player. Talent is permanent and I hope his injury is not too serious."

Balshaw went over on his ankle early in the second half and was stretchered off the field in some discomfort, but England coach Clive Woodward revealed that the injury was not as serious as it had initially looked.

"We're hoping it might not be as bad as it looked," said Woodward.

"The official line from Dr Simon Kemp is that it's a minor ankle sprain. He's walking round and he's got strapping round it. It may not be as serious as we first thought."

Balshaw, who has been plagued by various injuries since making his England debut in 2000 and considered lucky by some pundits to be in the World Cup squad, was superb against Uruguay - running in a brace of tries as he split the 'Los Teros' defence wide open.

"I thought he was outstanding and the performance showed why he's here," said Woodward.

"We're fortunate to have five outstanding back three players and I though Josh and Iain Balshaw did extremely well."