A WORD of advice from former Test centre Gene Miles proved a precursor to one of the most electrifying international debuts by an Australian winger in recent times here yesterday.
Twenty-year-old Brisbane winger Wendell Sailor scored two remarkable tries from deep in his own half as the 18th Kangaroos opened their tour of Britain and France with a crushing 52-8 win over Cumbria at Derwent Park, Workington.
Sailor, like second-rower and fellow 20-year-old Steven Menzies, began the nine-week tour with little hope of playing Test football but had laid sterling claims after just one match.
Sailor at times bewildered his opponents with his trademark swerve and step.
At full-time, his 27 fellow-tourists were ignored by autograph hunters as dozens of children blocked Sailor's passage from the field.
"I think they think I'm the Australian Martin Offiah," was Sailor's reaction to the tumultuous attention he has attracted since the tourists arrived in Britain.
“At first, I was happy to be in the 28-man squad but Gene Miles actually called me before I came over here and said that he was in the same position when he toured.
“He told me not to be content with just a tour spot but to do my best because there's obviously a wing spot open."
Illawarra winger Rod Wishart clearly thought likewise; he landed eight goals from nine attempts in a performance which is sure to weigh heavily on coach Bob Fulton's mind in the lead-up to the First Test at Wembley on October 22.
Sailor suffered a setback this morning, however, when he woke up with a swollen ankle, the result of cleaning up a Cumbria kick in-goal.
The Australians made 15 handling errors in the first half alone in very slippery conditions but still managed to equal the 44-point margin registered against the county side on the 1992 World Cup tour.
Manly's Menzies won the local man-of-the-match award with a determined performance, while another new cap, Western Suburbs hooker Jim Serdaris, finished second to Sea Eagles prop Ian Roberts in the players' voting.
Front-rower Glenn Lazarus was replaced after just 21 minutes with an aggravation of a groin injury.
The first seven minutes saw tries for centre Paul McGregor,-Sailor and fullback Tim Brasher before Australian errors started to creep in.
Referee John Connolly's liberal interpretation of the play-the-ball rules soon took their effect; Cumbria hit back with a try by centre Paul Burns and it took 22 minutes before Menzies could cross the line to give his side a 22-8 half-time advantage.
Fulton said : "When you look at the fact there were five new blokes in the side, I thought they played very well."
Fulton said Sailor's performance was proof that "there's plenty of pressure on" but added he wanted to see the - Broncos winger up against a higher standard of opposition.
Brasher reasoned: "If it had've been a dry game, there could have been 80 or 90 points scored."
Fulton has instituted a new voting system for the man-of-the-tour award. Players not involved in a game will award votes on a 3-2-1 basis. Roberts was yesterday's players' player, followed by Serdaris and Sailor.
Roberts said starting the First Test was a major motivational factor in his performance, which included a well-taken try. "I’d love to play at Wembley," said Roberts, who has English parents and became a naturalised Australian just before the tour party set off.
"My parents would be so chuffed just sitting there at home, watching it"
Rookie Sailor steps up a gear