A couple of those penalties were so soft.

IF Brough will come back there is our half back.

Graham or maybe even Widdop for Captain

Sinfield always kicks at that angle and doesn't go too bad, maybe he wasn't all there after he got walloped after passing the ball?

Harsh lesson for G Burgess
I am angry for that penalty, I think he let the team down big time there.

The NZ players got some academy awards for their diving, but in the end we got a few back later on so can't moan about the ref too much. It was just a very very close game.

That's nice for you.

Insightful as ever I see!


Didn't Johnson miss one as well? In your wibbly-wobbly world we would still have lost by 2 points surely?

Quite possibly the best sporting contest I've ever seen. Gutted by the result, however there was a degree of inevitably about it. So close yet so far. Would England have enough left in the tank to beat the Aussies in the final after giving it all against NZ? Maybe not. Not blaming anyone for the loss. You win and lose as a team.

I'm just pleased that was on free to view TV.

F*ck Brough to be honest.

I'd make one of Graham, or Burgess captain. We're assuming Sinfield will retire from internationals, but I'm not sure he will.

Great game but very disappointed we could not just make the finishing line.

As already said Westwood going for glory and dropping the ball, Hall not taking the interception, head high tackle by Burgess, Sinfield shooting out of the line (if NZ scored out wide then it would have been a difficult kick for them to win it) all went against us. We've got the best front row in the world IMHO with Sam Burgess, Roby & Graham up front!

I was also surprised that we did not kick for touch in last 5 mins to eat up the clock forming the scrum & defensive line in New Zealand's half (with the clock still running) instead Sinfield kicked in field direct to the full back who ran it back about 20 metres up the pitch making yardage quicker with the roll on. 20 seconds.......



New Zealand got a shock as they thought they were going to walk it and instead were almost knocked out by a great England effort.

The current top 10 twitter trends in the UK 4 sorry 5 are about the semi final.

There is exposure for you. Forget the news papers.

I thought the penalty against Widdop for obstruction was very harsh.

Ref had a stinker really. The one in that period against Hill was one of the softest I've ever seen when the Kiwi just dived over as he was getting up. But to be fair he nailed New Zealand with some wrong ones too (SBW knock on when he tackled Roby from marker) however they were allowed so much more leeway in relation to slowing down and messing around at the PTB than England were.

There where a few, but we got calls when we shouldn't too. What a game.

Did you miss Graham. Burgess may well of got MOM for the quality, and Sinfield had a great game regardless of trolls. But Graham really laid a terrific foundation for them all. Worked his balls off and set a great example. A perfect captain for me going forward.

Don't think we should fall into the trap of over analysing things. It was a 50/50 game and on another day the hall intercept would have stuck or westwoods try attempt would have stuck and we'd have struck the killer blow.

How many what if's from one game.

Still at least Englands kicking game was superb NOT.

Has he got the character to lead a team? That's about far far more than simply on-pitch performance.

Neither was New Zealand's.

He's already done it, and he is a mirror of Peacock in the example he sets. So to answer your question Yes.

But back to today, fantastic performance. I honestly think the cost in the end was not bringing on the unused sub for our only weakness, left centre. We were getting murdered in that channel, and only that channel.

I'm exhausted to be honest. Time for some food and to settle my head. It's still buzzing.

If S Burgess and Graham aren't leaders I don't know who are!

Gutted about the result but was a great performance with a little more polish we could have been comfortable with a few minutes to go.

S Burgess, Graham, O'Loughlin, Westwood and Sinfield were awesome an showed they an mix it with the best. Watkins, Tomkins and Widdop also had good games.

One player I think has had a below par WC is Ryan Hall. To me he didnt run his wieght once! Obviously I don't watch him week in week out, but does he crab his runs so often when playing for Leeds?

McNamara made the right choice bringing Widdop in. His only mistake was playing Burrow who was a complete passenger and we just completely lost the ruck when he was on the field. It didn't help Sinfield having to play a 15-20 min spell defending in the middle sapping his energy. McLlorum should have been on the bench even if it was just to give Roby a 10min break.

I felt like punching a hole in the wall when NZ scored that last try.
I can't get over it.
I'm exhausted with disappointment.

When Sinfield kicked the ball on the second tackle at the beginning I feared the worse. The fact it was he who ran out the line at the end confirmed my prediction.

Great game but gutted at result.

I was thinking after 50 minutes he should bring Ablett on for Cudjoe but it's not everyday you see three quarters subbed off so I knew it wouldn't happen.