England bowed out of the Rugby World Cup with an emphatic 60-3 win over Uruguay, already knowing that they would be eliminated from the tournament regardless of the result.
Experienced Nick Easter came in at number eight, scoring a hat-trick of tries at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester in his first start at the tournament.
Sports Mole spoke to the 37-year-old man after the match:
What are your thoughts on your performance tonight?
"Any time you get to pull on the white shirt, it was probably my first start for four years as well, so I wanted to do it justice, prove a point to myself as much as anything else and not let the team down. The ball came my way quite a bit, the guys put in a performance full of character, considering obviously the depressing week we've had."
Were you surprised to get a chance to come into the squad? [Easter was a late addition after Billy Vunipola was ruled out with an injury]
"I was first cab off the rank, it was a tight call between me and Ben Morgan towards right at the end of the training camp. They went with Ben, and obviously Billy was the other one, and Billy got injured, so as long as I was fit."
What did you think of the crowd's reaction tonight?
"They were fantastic, when we walked in - outstanding ovation we got, and they showed their support and they were fully behind us. I'm all for championing getting more games up here to be honest with you, I think the stadium is fantastic as well."
What does your future in international rugby hold?
"I'm honest with myself, if I still think I can do a job, more than a job for my country, then I will always be available, but I'll be realistic."
Sian Cowper
