Matty Ashton described making his Rugby League World Cup debut for England as a dream come true after helping his side to a commanding victory over France in Perth.
The electric winger crossed for a try as England ran in 14 of their own in an 82-0 success, a result that keeps their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive heading into next week's crucial meeting with Papua New Guinea.
Ashton was pleased with the way England remained patient against a determined French side before eventually turning their dominance into points on the scoreboard:
"I really enjoyed it," Ashton said. "I thought we got the job done really well.
"We built the game up in the first 20 minutes and then after that we knew we could put some points on the board, so I'm really glad we did that and gave ourselves the best chance to go again next week."
England had to wait until midway through the first half to break down France's resistance, with Ashton admitting there were some nerves that came with this, particularly after seeing his early try ruled out for a knock-on:
"There was a bit [of nerves], to be honest, especially when I dropped that one over the line.
"But I'm glad the boys turned it around before we dug deep in the end. To get out of that first 20 - we grinded it out really well and we always knew they [France] would come hard at the start.
"They've got a big pack, and they can throw their bodies about a bit, so we're glad we handled that and we came out the back of it really well."
With England growing in confidence, their expansive play soon took centre stage. Dom Young and Herbie Farnworth both completed hat-tricks, while AJ Brimson was named Player of the Match following a dazzling display.
And Ashton believes England's attacking threats make them a dangerous proposition for any opponent:
"It's great. We've got players that can score from anywhere. You really saw that in the second half.
"We've got athletes like Dom and Herbie on the outside backs and AJ at the back. They're really good to have in the team and it's really good that we've put those points on the board.
"AJ is rapid too, isn't he? He's really enjoyable and he's got that flair about him.
"I really like playing with players like that. He's killed it today and he's killed it every time he plays for England, so he's a really good asset for us."
For Ashton, the occasion carried extra significance after missing last year's Ashes series through an ACL injury. Having worked his way back to full fitness, pulling on the England shirt at a World Cup made the moment even sweeter:
"It's the dream. It's something that I've wanted to do since the start of the year.
"I've got a lot of people back home and people in Australia who are watching me so it's good to put a show on for them."
Reflecting on the disappointment of missing the Ashes on home soil, Ashton added:
"It was really tough to miss that last year, as it was the pinnacle of our game playing the Ashes at home, with sold out stadiums and all that sort of stuff.
"But it just made me have the desire to get here this year and I'm really glad that I've done that."
England now turn their attention to their clash with Papua New Guinea on Friday, knowing another big performance may be required if they are to progress from the group stages.
And Ashton believes the key is to continue doing what they have done throughout the competition:
"I don't think anything changes really. I think Brian will speak about our processes through the week, and we'll watch a bit on them, but nothing changes.
"We can only play our game and give ourselves the best opportunity."
Finally, when asked about the mood within the camp, the winger made it clear that the belief remains strong:
"We want to get through to the semi-finals."
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