RLWC2021: Praise for Leeds Rhinos star after England make winning start to Women's World Cup

Winfield-Hill - who scored a hat-trick of tries in a player of the match performance - was one of four Rhinos on duty, alongside Georgia Roche, Fran Goldthorp and Caitlin Beevers.

“She’s very good,” Richards said of the Rhinos half-back. “It is a team of very good players and what Courtney does is she brings a winning mentality.

“She has also added extra pressure to the other pivots. We have got very four good pivots and at one stage we had one, maybe two, who were cruising and quite relaxed.

“Add people like Courtney into the mix and suddenly it puts pressure on the others. She is another leader on the field.”

England ran in 14 tries and Richards was “over the moon” with his side’s opening performance, but disappointed to concede a try.

He said: “When you go into games like this you understand that spaces open up for you, you get your hands free and you are sometimes going to force the pass.

“We kind of expected that, but I thought when we settled into the game you could see some of the stuff we’ve been working on. We got a lot out of the game.”

Read more: Brazil 4 England 72: Leeds Rhinos players impress as hosts get RLWC 2021 Women's World Cup off to flying start

Richards added: “I love the way we defend. We have got energy in our defence and that’s something we’ve talked about.

“There’s a willingness to get off the line and whack, a willingness to wrestle in contact and that’s what we need to do. When you are willing to defend and you enjoy it, it will give you a licence to play.”

Richards called for more patience from his side, but insisted: “I think that will come as the tournament goes on.”

Of Brazil’s score, Richards admitted: “I like them, I’m excited to coach against them and I think they’ve got a great future, but I wouldn’t give them anything - I am not happy with the try.”

England play Canada in Wigan on Saturday, in a curtain-raiser to the men’s quarter-final against Papua New Guinea and Richards said he is keen to give all 24 of his squad a game.

That will mean a call up for Leeds’ Keara Bennett, Zoe Hornby and Danielle Anderson who did not play against Brazil.