It is safe to say that in the heat and humidity of northern Queensland and up against a fearsome Papua New Guinea side in the opening game of the World Cup in a fortnight’s time, England will have things less their own way in Townsville than they did in Doncaster last night.

Opponents denuded by retirements of key players and withdrawals of half of John Dixon’s first-choice squad were Welsh lambs to the slaughter in an embarrassingly one-sided Gillette Fusion international. The game amounted to an opposed training run for England, for whom eight of the side are included in the squad of 24 who leave for Australia on Monday.

If highly questionable as a competitive match, the exercise at least blew out the cobwebs for those who had not played a match since the regular engage Super League season ended in early September. Rob Purdham, the goalkicking Harlequins loose forward, pressed his claims for a place in the team with a consummate all-round performance, his 22 points beating Geoff Pimblett’s individual points record for England against Wales in 1978.

England’s 60-13 record victory against Wales that day was also exceeded as they ran in 14 tries and, to the immense satisfaction of Tony Smith, the coach, kept their line intact. The fact that his side also went 62 minutes before they conceded the first of only two penalties reflected a disciplined and clinical display.

Martin Gleeson brushed up for the opening World Cup group game with an accomplished first-half performance as acting captain and Gareth Hock provided Smith with food for thought in terms of his back-row combination with a typical bustling display. Of the fringe candidates in a standby party, tryscoring cameos by Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Tony Clubb, the Harlequins pair, advanced their claims, while Richard Myler, the 18-year-old Salford City Reds scrum half, scored twice and hinted at a highly promising future.

Aled James had the first of Wales’s two tryscoring efforts ruled out by the video official after Steve Ganson, the referee, had mistakenly blown his whistle. Near the end, Jordan James pounced on a loose ball but was judged offside. Nor was a beleaguered defence offered much sympathy, although, were it not for Dave Halley’s manful sweeping up at the back, it could have been worse.

England bristled with intent, each ball-carrier supported left and right as the home team poured forward in racking up eight tries before the break. Gleeson, in his other adopted role of stand-off, pulled the levers and the game was as good as over after 15 minutes. Purdham linked with Gleeson from a scrum and outstripped the Welsh cover with alarming ease, while Gleeson’s inside pass provided Shaun Briscoe with the first of his brace of tries.

The barn door had been kicked open and awestruck opponents were mercilessly tormented. Paul Sykes touched down twice, Gleeson held off the despairing Halley and Myler grabbed his first, before Mark Calderwood raced clear from 75 metres. Hock set up Clubb’s try within 50 seconds of the restart and deservedly added one himself.

Scorers: England: Tries: Purdham, Briscoe 2, Sykes 2, Gleeson 2, Myler 2, Calderwood, Clubb, Hock, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Fox. Goals: Purdham 9.

England: S Briscoe; P Fox, M Shenton, P Sykes, M Calderwood; M Gleeson, R Myler; S Fielden, M Higham, L McCarthy-Scarsbrook, G Hock, B Westwood, R Purdham. Interchange: D Hodgson, J Langley, D Griffin, T Clubb.

Wales: D Halley; D Gibson, A James, L Williams, R Williams; M Lennon, I Watson; C Kopczak, S Penkywicz, D Mills, B Flower, G Davies, A Bracek. Interchange: R Griffiths, M Barron, J James, G Dudson.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).

Attendance: 11,263.