By Dave Woods BBC Sport in New Zealand

Morley captained Warrington Wolves to the 2010 Challenge Cup

It may have been a bad night for England, but any rugby league fan couldn't help but get carried away with the infectious spirit of enjoyment that had Mount Smart bouncing.

A crowd of almost 12,000 roared their delight for a double helping of international rugby. Forget the Four Nations, this was a perfect advert for what the World Cup 2013 should be all about.

New Zealand Maori, in producing their rousing fightback against a beleaguered England, and Samoa's tricks, flicks and brutal endeavour against the Kiwis, showed that there is life outside the so-called big three.

There might not be a serious contender for the world crown beyond Australia, New Zealand and a fully fit and fired up England, but in three years' time we could all be having a lot of fun watching the minnows trying to bloody the noses and flatten the egos of the big boys, if the evidence of Auckland is to be trusted.

Hopefully the World Cup organisers will trust the skills and application of the smaller nations and force the threatened three to each battle their way out of their own individual groups, rather than setting up a heavily loaded super group as was the case two years ago.

The Maori, heartened by the enforced absence of England's injured skipper Adrian Morley and scrum-half Sam Tomkins for the majority of the match, dug themselves out of certain defeat with a second-half performance that helped turn Mount Smart into a bear pit as a partisan crowd screamed them on.

606: DEBATE England had better pull their socks up or see some try-scoring records being broken against them ptb

And in the second game, Samoa came at the Kiwis with uninhibited ambition in the first ever Test between the two. At times the Samoans produced some astonishing handling skills, inspired by the magician that is David Solomona.

I'm not sure what sport he is playing at times, but it's certainly not like the rugby league that anyone else plays. He may not be the fittest or fastest, but even the New Zealand fans were laughing at each other in disbelief at some of the skills produced.

The Kiwis were too clinical and Samoa ran out of steam, but it has to be the most enjoyable one-sided game since the Aussies thrashed Fiji at the last World Cup.

Anyway, back to England. For 40 minutes it looked great. They were assured and controlling and the Maori looked to have been subdued. But then news began to filter through that Morley's injury was quite serious and that Tomkins had a groin strain that was causing concern.

Probably not coincidentally, England's foot slipped off the pedal in the second half as the Maori charged.

To lose Morley, on the back of Jamie Peacock's absence, would be a massive blow.

Morley only needs to be on the field to lift any side, as evidenced by the after match comment from his new England team-mate Darrel Griffin who commented "I was in awe playing alongside Mozz".

To be without both pack leaders going into the Four Nations will be like the Cavalry turning up at Little Big Horn with General Custer back at home nursing a hamstring pull.

If Tomkins is sidelined too, then... no, let's not think about it.

There was plenty that was good in the England performance against the Maori, just not enough of it. But it was just a warm up game and the England camp will tell you the result doesn't matter, it served a useful, if costly, purpose in settling on combinations and fine-tuning.

Let's hope we get it all right on the night in Wellington next week, otherwise we could get booted across the Tasman and into the furnace of Australia, because those Kiwis looked very good in finally taming the Samoans.

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