No way, whoever won it deserved it! England were great, but NZ hung on like troupers all game.
Semi Final: England vs New Zealand
- Thread starter rhugh89
- Start date
No way, whoever won it deserved it! England were great, but NZ hung on like troupers all game.
danielyou56
1997 & 2001...
i don't know about whoever wins deserves it but they won fair and square but england played amazing
rule #1: never ever feel sorry for poms hahah (especially in cricket)
also anyone see Cummins nearly get knocked down by SBW at the end?
That was hilarious!!!
Good god, I still haven't recovered, I'm an emotional wreck after that match!!!
cowboyman
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
What a game!!!
Watched it at work on the massive projector screen with sound stemming from the roof, was almost as if I was there when the Pommies found their voice.
Thought the Poms were the better side and had to deal with a couple more dodgy calls then the Kiwis, especially in the penalty count. In saying that though they had a couple of chances to seal the win but just didn't do it good enough. Hall's dropped intercept, going down the blindside on last tackle and then kicking the ball back infield with only 2 minutes left... Should of went to open side a couple passes deep then grubber into touch. George Burgess doing his mandatory mistake by giving away a penalty when the Kiwis only had 2 tackles left. Just on him I think he will be shown up big time next season, has feet for hands and is very lazy in defence when he has to retreat the 10 instead of being at marker.
Overall it was a great game and I think the Kiwis will beat Australia next week. They have had the tougher games and will be battle hardened while Australia have just strolled into the final again and have Sheens as coach. Going to be hard to top that semi but hopefully the final equals it at least.
Watched it at work on the massive projector screen with sound stemming from the roof, was almost as if I was there when the Pommies found their voice.
Thought the Poms were the better side and had to deal with a couple more dodgy calls then the Kiwis, especially in the penalty count. In saying that though they had a couple of chances to seal the win but just didn't do it good enough. Hall's dropped intercept, going down the blindside on last tackle and then kicking the ball back infield with only 2 minutes left... Should of went to open side a couple passes deep then grubber into touch. George Burgess doing his mandatory mistake by giving away a penalty when the Kiwis only had 2 tackles left. Just on him I think he will be shown up big time next season, has feet for hands and is very lazy in defence when he has to retreat the 10 instead of being at marker.
Overall it was a great game and I think the Kiwis will beat Australia next week. They have had the tougher games and will be battle hardened while Australia have just strolled into the final again and have Sheens as coach. Going to be hard to top that semi but hopefully the final equals it at least.
England were hugely better with Widdop on the team, they must be kicking themselves they didn't give him the whole series to find his place in the side.
rhugh89
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
New Zealand star Shaun Johnson magic steals semi-final victory from England
Shaun Johnson of New Zealand converts his sides try (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
SHAUN Johnson broke England's hearts at Wembley with a dramatic last minute try giving New Zealand a come from behind 20-18 victory.
The reigning champions looked to be heading home when they were trailing England 18-14 with a minute left on the clock before Johnson stepped up with the match winning play.
Under fire all tournament with off-field drama and talk they were a camp in turmoil, England put up a brave performance but just when they looked certain for a spot in the final Johnson exploded into space.
England captain Kevin Sinfield had been inspirational for his team all game but in the final minute he came charging out of the line to put pressure on Johnson but the Kiwi halfback stepped past him and raced over to secure a dramatic victory after an outstanding game of football.
Brett Ferres of England is tackled by Shaun Johnson of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Sam Burgess was phenomenal for England and named man of the match, although James Graham wasn't far behind him.
England were trailing 14-8 when Burgess scored in the 67th minute to put his team ahead but in the end they just couldn't hold out a sustained attacking raid from the Kiwis over the final minutes.
"We thought England had a great game today," Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney told BBC One."We kept fighting and hanging in there. We were fortunate today."
They went to the halftime break locked at 8-8 after a griping 40 minutes dominated by bruising defence and some fantastic attack.
Burgess and Graham were in everything for England and they combined brilliantly for the opening try.Graham off-loaded a super ball to Burgess who sent Sean O'Loughlin crashing over in the 16th minute.
Leroy Cudjoe of England is tackled by Shaun Johnson of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Kevin Sinfield landed the conversion and a penalty goal in the 25th minute to give England an 8-0 lead.But the Kiwis responded with one of the most freakish tries scored this year.
It started when Kieran Foran put up a cross-field bomb towards the left touchline and it ended on the left wing when Roger Tuivasa-Scheck touched down after an unbelievable flick pass from Dean Whare.
From Foran's kick Jason Nightingale soared above the pack and batted the ball back to maintain possession for New Zealand.
Brett Ferres of England is tackled by Shaun Johnson of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
And from one side of the field it went to the other before Whare leapt from the field of play and in mid-air flicked passed the ball back into the field of play for Tuivasa-Scheck to score.
A Shaun Johnson penalty goal in the 40th minute locked the scores at the break.
Tuivasa-Scheck put the Kiwis further ahead in the 44th minute with his second try coming from a set play down the right edge when the Kiwis used Sonny Bill Williams as a decoy and Kevin Locke ran the sweep to expose an opening for the flying winger.
Brett Ferres of England knocks on as he is challenged by Shaun Johnson (#7) and Roger Tuivasa-Scheck of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Referee Ben Cummins was hammering England in the penalty count and the Kiwis went further ahead when Johnson landed a penalty conversion to go 14-8 up in the 52nd minute.
But a superb cut-out pass from Sinfield put Kallum Watkins over to make it 14-12 in the 58th minute to set up a thrilling final quarter.
England's skipper was again involved when Sinfield put Burgess over in the 67th minute but shortly after Burgess was named man of the match Johnson broke England's heart with his last minute match-try.
"Very disappointed," Burgess said."I would rather have the win than this medal.
"We put a lot of hard work into this tournament and we probably did not get what we deserved.
"It's going to take a while to get over this one. The lads are very disappointed."
England coach Steve McNamara said: "It's a tough way to go out, but high level sport can be cruel at times."We did a lot of things right in this game. We played tremendously well."
Having trailed by four points, a penalty from James Graham gifted the Kiwis an extra set with just 30 seconds left on the clock.
Johnson took on the line stepped and slid through a hole to level the scores before converting his try to cement their place in the World Cup final.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ory-from-england/story-fni3fbgz-1226767032316
- PAUL CRAWLEY IN LONDON
- THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
- NOVEMBER 24, 2013 2:01AM
Shaun Johnson of New Zealand converts his sides try (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
SHAUN Johnson broke England's hearts at Wembley with a dramatic last minute try giving New Zealand a come from behind 20-18 victory.
The reigning champions looked to be heading home when they were trailing England 18-14 with a minute left on the clock before Johnson stepped up with the match winning play.
Under fire all tournament with off-field drama and talk they were a camp in turmoil, England put up a brave performance but just when they looked certain for a spot in the final Johnson exploded into space.
England captain Kevin Sinfield had been inspirational for his team all game but in the final minute he came charging out of the line to put pressure on Johnson but the Kiwi halfback stepped past him and raced over to secure a dramatic victory after an outstanding game of football.
Brett Ferres of England is tackled by Shaun Johnson of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Sam Burgess was phenomenal for England and named man of the match, although James Graham wasn't far behind him.
England were trailing 14-8 when Burgess scored in the 67th minute to put his team ahead but in the end they just couldn't hold out a sustained attacking raid from the Kiwis over the final minutes.
"We thought England had a great game today," Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney told BBC One."We kept fighting and hanging in there. We were fortunate today."
They went to the halftime break locked at 8-8 after a griping 40 minutes dominated by bruising defence and some fantastic attack.
Burgess and Graham were in everything for England and they combined brilliantly for the opening try.Graham off-loaded a super ball to Burgess who sent Sean O'Loughlin crashing over in the 16th minute.
Leroy Cudjoe of England is tackled by Shaun Johnson of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Kevin Sinfield landed the conversion and a penalty goal in the 25th minute to give England an 8-0 lead.But the Kiwis responded with one of the most freakish tries scored this year.
It started when Kieran Foran put up a cross-field bomb towards the left touchline and it ended on the left wing when Roger Tuivasa-Scheck touched down after an unbelievable flick pass from Dean Whare.
From Foran's kick Jason Nightingale soared above the pack and batted the ball back to maintain possession for New Zealand.
Brett Ferres of England is tackled by Shaun Johnson of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
And from one side of the field it went to the other before Whare leapt from the field of play and in mid-air flicked passed the ball back into the field of play for Tuivasa-Scheck to score.
A Shaun Johnson penalty goal in the 40th minute locked the scores at the break.
Tuivasa-Scheck put the Kiwis further ahead in the 44th minute with his second try coming from a set play down the right edge when the Kiwis used Sonny Bill Williams as a decoy and Kevin Locke ran the sweep to expose an opening for the flying winger.
Brett Ferres of England knocks on as he is challenged by Shaun Johnson (#7) and Roger Tuivasa-Scheck of New Zealand during the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final match between New Zealand and England at Wembley Stadium on November 23, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Referee Ben Cummins was hammering England in the penalty count and the Kiwis went further ahead when Johnson landed a penalty conversion to go 14-8 up in the 52nd minute.
But a superb cut-out pass from Sinfield put Kallum Watkins over to make it 14-12 in the 58th minute to set up a thrilling final quarter.
England's skipper was again involved when Sinfield put Burgess over in the 67th minute but shortly after Burgess was named man of the match Johnson broke England's heart with his last minute match-try.
"Very disappointed," Burgess said."I would rather have the win than this medal.
"We put a lot of hard work into this tournament and we probably did not get what we deserved.
"It's going to take a while to get over this one. The lads are very disappointed."
England coach Steve McNamara said: "It's a tough way to go out, but high level sport can be cruel at times."We did a lot of things right in this game. We played tremendously well."
Having trailed by four points, a penalty from James Graham gifted the Kiwis an extra set with just 30 seconds left on the clock.
Johnson took on the line stepped and slid through a hole to level the scores before converting his try to cement their place in the World Cup final.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ory-from-england/story-fni3fbgz-1226767032316
Last edited:
rhugh89
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
England v New Zealand player ratings
By Chris Kennedy
NRL.com
3:59am Sun 24th November, 2013
Sam Burgess took out the official Man of the Match award in England's heartbreaking World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand.
Every player rated from New Zealand's thrilling last-minute 20-18 win over England in a classic World Cup semi-final.
ENGLAND
1. Sam Tomkins: Had his quietest game of the World Cup to date, but was nevertheless impeccable under the high ball and saved his side a try in the early stages. 7.5
2. Josh Charnley: Threatened in attack in his second game of the tournament. 7
3. Kallum Watkins: Scored a try with good angling run but otherwise had had little involvement. 6.5
4. Leroy Cudjoe: Little impact in attack, his three errors and two penalties putting his side under pressure. 5.5
5. Ryan Hall: Threatened to run away in space so many times only to be denied by a forward pass or knock on in the lead up. Did little wrong but repeatedly denied opportunities, to his immense frustration. 6
6. Gareth Widdop: A good running five-eighth's game; it's hard to argue England coach Steve McNamara erred by including him ahead of incumbent Rangi Chase. 6.5
7. Kevin Sinfield: An eventful game saw him go from villain to hero to villain. Started with some poor options before two brilliant try assists put his side in command.
But a missed – and gettable – conversion chance proved critical and if we're being harsh he had a chance to stop the final try to Johnson. Can still be proud of his efforts. 8
8. James Graham: Repeated huge defensive plays in a frantic first half and was instrumental in England holding out several attacking raids from NZ. Finished as the match's top tackler and second-top metre getter. 9
9. James Roby: Forming half of a dynamic dummy-half pairing with Rob Burrow, he forced one drop out with a quality kick and had some good touches outside. 7.5
10. Sam Burgess: Countless quality touches and runs, plenty of offloads, and a massive game-high 206 metres. Managed to shade arch rival SBW in their head-to-head battle, a deserving Man of the Match despite the result. 9.5
11. Brett Ferres: Served up some tricky runs, his fend proving a handful. 6.5
12. Ben Westwood: It wouldn't be an English Test match without a banged up Westwood having blood on his shirt and a bandage round his head. The tough second rower was in everything and a key cog in a strong English effort. 8
13. Sean O'Loughlin: Supported well to score his side's first try, but a knock on with a try in the offing was costly. 6.5
14. Rob Burrow: Made a couple of good runs when he came on after 35 minutes but was underutilised. 6
15. George Burgess: His slap to the head of SBW gave away the last penalty that led to Shaun Johnson's match-winning try. He was otherwise underused but still produced some trademark bumping runs. 7
16. Chris Hill: Another solid game from England's Mr Consistent. 6.5
17. Carl Ablett. Barely sighted off the bench. 5
NEW ZEALAND
1. Kevin Locke: Produced some brilliant tackles when his side desperately needed them. Also set up a try early in the second half in a good all-round game. 7.5
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: A stack of metres and two tries continued his golden run at this tournament. 8
3. Dean Whare: Will be remembered for his miracle flick infield for one of Tuivasa-Sheck's tries but it will overshadow what was otherwise a great all-round game, with some quality touches and plenty of good defensive moments. 8
4. Bryson Goodwin: The other half of a quality centre pairing, the Rabbitoh has really lifted this tournament. 7.5
5. Jason Nightingale: Provided some great moments in his uniquely awkward way. He may lack Vatuvei's power but rarely put a foot wrong. 6.5
6. Kieran Foran: Surprisingly ineffective. Picked a poor occasion to have his worst game of the tournament but Kiwi fans will be hoping he's got it out of his system now. 5
7. Shaun Johnson: Put his stamp on the match in the final minute with the match-winning try and clutch conversion but was hit-and-miss up to that point. 6.5
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves: Brought plenty of fire during the ferocious opening salvos but little impact thereafter. 6.5
9. Issac Luke: Far more rocks than diamonds on this occasion from Luke; he nearly opened the try scoring with a cheeky grubber but also put a kick-off out on the full. A brilliant line break followed by a lost ball summed up his night. 5.5
10. Jesse Bromwich: 126 metres, two offloads, 16 tackles, with no errors or penalties conceded. Job done by the big man. 7.5
13. Simon Mannering: The skipper got through a stack of tackling but did little otherwise. 6
12. Sonny Bill Williams: Only just shaded by Sam Burgess in the man-of-the-match stakes, SBW was – perhaps surprisingly – New Zealand's top tackler by a wide margin with 38, adding a massive 136 metres and six offloads.
Heavily involved from start to finish; without him New Zealand do not win. 9
17. Elijah Taylor: A stack of tackling in a frenetic opening stanza but hardly sighted otherwise. 6
14. Frank-Paul Nuuausala: A few trademark hard-hitting runs when he got on but wasn't heavily used. 6
15. Sam Kasiano: Provided the English defence with some headaches but a couple of errors and a penalty let the pressure off. 5.5
16. Ben Matulino: Plenty of strong running off the bench, he may be used to starting but it made little difference. 7
19. Alex Glenn: Provided some good angle running in his limited time on the field. 6
http://www.nrl.com/england-v-new-zealand-player-ratings/tabid/10874/newsid/75496/default.aspx
By Chris Kennedy
NRL.com
3:59am Sun 24th November, 2013
Sam Burgess took out the official Man of the Match award in England's heartbreaking World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand.
Every player rated from New Zealand's thrilling last-minute 20-18 win over England in a classic World Cup semi-final.
ENGLAND
1. Sam Tomkins: Had his quietest game of the World Cup to date, but was nevertheless impeccable under the high ball and saved his side a try in the early stages. 7.5
2. Josh Charnley: Threatened in attack in his second game of the tournament. 7
3. Kallum Watkins: Scored a try with good angling run but otherwise had had little involvement. 6.5
4. Leroy Cudjoe: Little impact in attack, his three errors and two penalties putting his side under pressure. 5.5
5. Ryan Hall: Threatened to run away in space so many times only to be denied by a forward pass or knock on in the lead up. Did little wrong but repeatedly denied opportunities, to his immense frustration. 6
6. Gareth Widdop: A good running five-eighth's game; it's hard to argue England coach Steve McNamara erred by including him ahead of incumbent Rangi Chase. 6.5
7. Kevin Sinfield: An eventful game saw him go from villain to hero to villain. Started with some poor options before two brilliant try assists put his side in command.
But a missed – and gettable – conversion chance proved critical and if we're being harsh he had a chance to stop the final try to Johnson. Can still be proud of his efforts. 8
8. James Graham: Repeated huge defensive plays in a frantic first half and was instrumental in England holding out several attacking raids from NZ. Finished as the match's top tackler and second-top metre getter. 9
9. James Roby: Forming half of a dynamic dummy-half pairing with Rob Burrow, he forced one drop out with a quality kick and had some good touches outside. 7.5
10. Sam Burgess: Countless quality touches and runs, plenty of offloads, and a massive game-high 206 metres. Managed to shade arch rival SBW in their head-to-head battle, a deserving Man of the Match despite the result. 9.5
11. Brett Ferres: Served up some tricky runs, his fend proving a handful. 6.5
12. Ben Westwood: It wouldn't be an English Test match without a banged up Westwood having blood on his shirt and a bandage round his head. The tough second rower was in everything and a key cog in a strong English effort. 8
13. Sean O'Loughlin: Supported well to score his side's first try, but a knock on with a try in the offing was costly. 6.5
14. Rob Burrow: Made a couple of good runs when he came on after 35 minutes but was underutilised. 6
15. George Burgess: His slap to the head of SBW gave away the last penalty that led to Shaun Johnson's match-winning try. He was otherwise underused but still produced some trademark bumping runs. 7
16. Chris Hill: Another solid game from England's Mr Consistent. 6.5
17. Carl Ablett. Barely sighted off the bench. 5
NEW ZEALAND
1. Kevin Locke: Produced some brilliant tackles when his side desperately needed them. Also set up a try early in the second half in a good all-round game. 7.5
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: A stack of metres and two tries continued his golden run at this tournament. 8
3. Dean Whare: Will be remembered for his miracle flick infield for one of Tuivasa-Sheck's tries but it will overshadow what was otherwise a great all-round game, with some quality touches and plenty of good defensive moments. 8
4. Bryson Goodwin: The other half of a quality centre pairing, the Rabbitoh has really lifted this tournament. 7.5
5. Jason Nightingale: Provided some great moments in his uniquely awkward way. He may lack Vatuvei's power but rarely put a foot wrong. 6.5
6. Kieran Foran: Surprisingly ineffective. Picked a poor occasion to have his worst game of the tournament but Kiwi fans will be hoping he's got it out of his system now. 5
7. Shaun Johnson: Put his stamp on the match in the final minute with the match-winning try and clutch conversion but was hit-and-miss up to that point. 6.5
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves: Brought plenty of fire during the ferocious opening salvos but little impact thereafter. 6.5
9. Issac Luke: Far more rocks than diamonds on this occasion from Luke; he nearly opened the try scoring with a cheeky grubber but also put a kick-off out on the full. A brilliant line break followed by a lost ball summed up his night. 5.5
10. Jesse Bromwich: 126 metres, two offloads, 16 tackles, with no errors or penalties conceded. Job done by the big man. 7.5
13. Simon Mannering: The skipper got through a stack of tackling but did little otherwise. 6
12. Sonny Bill Williams: Only just shaded by Sam Burgess in the man-of-the-match stakes, SBW was – perhaps surprisingly – New Zealand's top tackler by a wide margin with 38, adding a massive 136 metres and six offloads.
Heavily involved from start to finish; without him New Zealand do not win. 9
17. Elijah Taylor: A stack of tackling in a frenetic opening stanza but hardly sighted otherwise. 6
14. Frank-Paul Nuuausala: A few trademark hard-hitting runs when he got on but wasn't heavily used. 6
15. Sam Kasiano: Provided the English defence with some headaches but a couple of errors and a penalty let the pressure off. 5.5
16. Ben Matulino: Plenty of strong running off the bench, he may be used to starting but it made little difference. 7
19. Alex Glenn: Provided some good angle running in his limited time on the field. 6
http://www.nrl.com/england-v-new-zealand-player-ratings/tabid/10874/newsid/75496/default.aspx
Last edited:
So good to see the smile wiped off Sam Burgess's face at the end!
Recording this one onto dvd, won't ever forget that game.
Recording this one onto dvd, won't ever forget that game.
Seriously one of the best games I've ever seen, so glad I watched it live. It felt like it lasted for hours because so much happened, but at the same time it was so quick that it felt like it was over in 10 minutes. Was up off my lounge cheering when Magic Johnson went over at the end, always great to see England lose, especially when Burgess is their main man.
Now for them to lose the first Ashes test too!
Now for them to lose the first Ashes test too!
rhugh89
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Kearney wants Kiwis to lift for RLWC final
By Luke Phillips
AAP
8:55am Sun 24th November, 2013
New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney concedes his side will need to find major improvement to topple Australia in the Rugby League World Cup final after they were "fortunate" to down England 20-18 in a thrilling semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
Kearney hailed his team's never-say-die attitude after they snatched victory in the last minute of a scintillating match England had dominated for long periods, but lamented the fact they faced such a scenario.
Playmaker Shaun Johnson evaded a Kevin Sinfield tackle to jink over for a try he converted with the last kick of the game.
The result left Kearney and captain Simon Mannering satisfied but wary they'll have to step up another level when they play the final on Saturday at Old Trafford.
"I was always confident that if we had the footy with a minute to go and we were down by four points we had the ability to come up with something," said Kearney, who was at the helm of New Zealand when they posted a 34-20 upset win over the Kangaroos in the 2008 World Cup final.
"We didn't play real well but we hung in there and we gave ourselves a chance with a minute to go. That's a real positive.
"Take nothing away from their performance, England were outstanding."
Kearney joked that he had not particularly enjoyed the 79 minutes preceding Johnson's decisive intervention.
"I think we feel fortunate to come up with the play," he said.
"The opportunity presented itself and Shaun was good enough to take it, but we need to be better. There were parts of the game that were difficult to watch."
Skipper Mannering rued his side's lack of rhythm against an England side inspired by Sam Burgess.
"We didn't build much pressure throughout the whole game," Mannering said.
"They played really well and built a lot of momentum ... but luckily enough Shaun came up with the big play."
Mannering admitted the match had been tougher than their pool matches and quarter-final, in which the Kiwis were rarely troubled in racking up 186 points, with just 34 against.
"It was a bit of a step-up today," he said.
"We were just off the mark a touch.
"We're going to have to be better next week. We'll have to be good throughout the whole game."
England coach Steve McNamara said his team were "absolutely distraught".
"We did a lot of things right in this game," McNamara said.
England prop Sam Burgess was man of the match.
"I'm very disappointed for the team," he said.
"We put a lot of hard work into this tournament and we feel we've not got what we deserved."
http://www.nrl.com/kearney-wants-kiwis-to-lift-for-rlwc-final/tabid/10874/newsid/75494/default.aspx
By Luke Phillips
AAP
8:55am Sun 24th November, 2013
New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney concedes his side will need to find major improvement to topple Australia in the Rugby League World Cup final after they were "fortunate" to down England 20-18 in a thrilling semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
Kearney hailed his team's never-say-die attitude after they snatched victory in the last minute of a scintillating match England had dominated for long periods, but lamented the fact they faced such a scenario.
Playmaker Shaun Johnson evaded a Kevin Sinfield tackle to jink over for a try he converted with the last kick of the game.
The result left Kearney and captain Simon Mannering satisfied but wary they'll have to step up another level when they play the final on Saturday at Old Trafford.
"I was always confident that if we had the footy with a minute to go and we were down by four points we had the ability to come up with something," said Kearney, who was at the helm of New Zealand when they posted a 34-20 upset win over the Kangaroos in the 2008 World Cup final.
"We didn't play real well but we hung in there and we gave ourselves a chance with a minute to go. That's a real positive.
"Take nothing away from their performance, England were outstanding."
Kearney joked that he had not particularly enjoyed the 79 minutes preceding Johnson's decisive intervention.
"I think we feel fortunate to come up with the play," he said.
"The opportunity presented itself and Shaun was good enough to take it, but we need to be better. There were parts of the game that were difficult to watch."
Skipper Mannering rued his side's lack of rhythm against an England side inspired by Sam Burgess.
"We didn't build much pressure throughout the whole game," Mannering said.
"They played really well and built a lot of momentum ... but luckily enough Shaun came up with the big play."
Mannering admitted the match had been tougher than their pool matches and quarter-final, in which the Kiwis were rarely troubled in racking up 186 points, with just 34 against.
"It was a bit of a step-up today," he said.
"We were just off the mark a touch.
"We're going to have to be better next week. We'll have to be good throughout the whole game."
England coach Steve McNamara said his team were "absolutely distraught".
"We did a lot of things right in this game," McNamara said.
England prop Sam Burgess was man of the match.
"I'm very disappointed for the team," he said.
"We put a lot of hard work into this tournament and we feel we've not got what we deserved."
http://www.nrl.com/kearney-wants-kiwis-to-lift-for-rlwc-final/tabid/10874/newsid/75494/default.aspx