PERTH, Oct 12: England got their rugby World Cup campaign off to an explosive start when they thumped tournament debutants Georgia 84-6 in a predictably one-sided Pool C game on Sunday.

After a cagey beginning on a surface made slippery by a day of torrential rain, England cut loose with eight second-half tries in a total of 12 as their superior fitness and technique told against a team made up largely of part-timers with virtually no experience of elite-level rugby.

There were 10 different scorers, winger Ben Cohen and centre Will Greenwood both getting two in the biggest win of the tournament so far.

England got underway with a penalty for Jonny Wilkinson as the flyhalf got used to the ground where his accuracy will become considerably more important in six days’ time. Wilkinson scored 16 points.

In Sydney, winger Chris Paterson saved Scotland from humiliation as they opened their campaign with an unconvincing 32-11 victory over Japan.

The Scots fielded a near full-strength side but struggled throughout the Pool B encounter at Townsville before scoring three late tries to avoid a shock.

Paterson, who plays flyhalf for his club, scored two of his side’s five tries for a personal tally of 15 points, while Japan were left to celebrate one of their best international performances.

Wales centre Iestyn Harris orchestrated an effective but unspectacular 41-10 victory over Canada in their opening Pool D game in Melbourne.

Harris contributed 16 points with the boot but also impressed with his running and distribution skills that sparked the back line and his kicking game which kept his pack going forward.

Canada flyhalf Bob Ross kicked a fourth minute drop goal while replacement prop Kevin Tkachuk scored a 72nd minute try immediately after Parker was sin-binned for a professional foul. Fullback James Pritchard added the conversion.

While Wales never really looked threatened throughout the match, their discipline let them down with Parker’s yellow card the second of the game after Charvis spent 10 minutes cooling his heels early in the first half for a late charge on Ross.—Reuters