England 28 New Zealand 6: England keep it so simple as composed display earns another crack at Australia

RUGBY league really is a simple game as England brilliantly demonstrated with one of their most commanding displays of recent times.

While flashes of class from an electrifying Sam Tomkins and that increasingly deadly finisher Ryan Hall illuminated Hull’s KC Stadium on Saturday night, it was the more regular contributions which combined to almost ease the hosts into a Gillette Four Nations final against Australia.

With a dogged pack which effortlessly shrugged off the loss of the sidelined Gareth Ellis, the shrewd game management of Kevin Sinfield, a pinpoint kicking performance and composed team ethic, England delivered perfectly against a frustrated New Zealand.

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Gone were the needless handling errors which scuppered their chances of beating Australia at Wembley, banished along with those defensive lapses that hurt them so badly.

Instead, with excellent ball control, plenty of patience and no little skill, they picked apart the world champions and Four Nations holders, who self-imploded amid the intense pressure.

England, needing a win to deny the Kiwis their place against Australia on Saturday, got their discipline spot on and, without ever being hugely creative or adventurous, did the basics supremely well to earn their rich reward.

As they prepare to end their 39-year long wait for a tournament success, the most encouraging aspect was their positive response when the mis-firing New Zealanders finally started to threaten.

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It had taken their opponents until the 61st minute to get off the mark, Jason Nightingale crossing in the corner after back-to-back drop outs and Benji Marshall converting to make it 12-6.

They conceded a penalty immediately to Sinfield but everyone in the ground still knew the tourists – who had been erratic, out-played and hugely ill-disciplined – retained the capability of rescuing the contest and they duly came powering forward with renewed vigour.

However, rather than crumble, England stood firm and not only weathered the storm but they also hit back with their own resonant blast.

Tom Briscoe, the Hull FC winger who had scored in the 27th minute to put England on course for an 8-0 interval lead, showed great awareness to steal possession from the probing Gerard Beale, a trick he had already pulled to crucially deny Elijah Taylor.

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He immediately turned defence into attack by sprinting 70m downfield.

Briscoe was hauled down by Simon Mannering but James Graham – who along with Jamie Peacock and Chris Heighington had passed late fitness tests – rumbled over off Sinfield’s pass for his first-ever England try.

With four minutes remaining, Graham’s slip pass then sent Jamie Jones-Buchanan careering through and Tomkins, who had been a threat every time he received the possession, was on hand to finish.

Leeds Rhinos stand-off Sinfield said: “The Kiwis were favourites, world champions and Four Nations champions so we were very respectful of how they play and the stars they have. But we had to go through a process of trying to tire some of their big guys out and thankfully our pack stood up and a great team performance got us there.

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“We were happy to grind sets out and be patient. There was always going to be a stage in that second half where we’d be under the pump a little bit.

“We copped some penalties and were camped on our own goal line but we’re a fit group and managed to turn that around.

“Steve (McNamara) talked in the press about this being war. We knew we had to put in a performance not only to win the game but give us some confidence going into next week. We all wanted another crack at the Aussies and we’re delighted now to get that chance. We need to be better than we were tonight, though.

“That’s not being disrespectful to the Kiwis. I think the Aussies will improve again but nobody wants this journey to finish.”

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New Zealand – who have now won just once in 12 games against England or Great Britain in the northern hemisphere – only had themselves to blame.

The penalty count was 7-2 against them at half-time which meant they had no chance to impose themselves.

A series of ugly high tackles, Tomkins predictably coming in for heavy treatment, were punished and Issac Luke performed a crude twist on Rangi Chase’s leg after the England scrum-half had almost escaped his clutches. Sinfield kicked that penalty on the stroke of half-time, having also converted Briscoe’s score, which had been wonderfully created by the weaving run of Chase, Castleford Tigers’ exiled New Zealander playing against his home country for the first time.

“We were prepared for some stuff that we probably don’t see over here too much,” said Sinfield about the Kiwis’ heavy tactics. “It’s pretty much outlawed but we had to ride that and, thankfully, we had a strong referee who saw some if it and was able to manage it. We stayed controlled.”

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England, for all their first half domination, should have been further ahead but the workaholic Ben Westwood, Sinfield and Graham were all held up over the line by some admittedly spirited Kiwi defence.

However, on the back of yet more penalties, Leeds winger Hall, who had produced two marvellous finishes against Australia at Wembley, did so again in the 44th minute.

Jack Reed rose high to take Sinfield’s crossfield kick and find Westwood, whose smart pass gave Hall sight of the line.

He somehow managed to get the ball down one-handed and Headingley colleague Sinfield improved once more to put England in complete charge of this KC Stadium encounter.

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“I thought England played outstandingly well,” admitted New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney, the former Hull player enduring a tough return to East Yorkshire.

“It was a real complete performance from them and they fully deserved the victory.”

England: Tomkins; Hall, Reed, Yeaman, Briscoe; Sinfield, Chase; Graham, Roby, Peacock, Wilkin, Westwood, Heighington. Substitutes: Widdop, Morley, Buchanan, Carvell.

New Zealand: Locke; Nightingale, Mannering, Brown, Beale; Marshall, Foran; Matulino, Leuluai, Packer, Manu, Blair, Smith. Substitutes: Luke, Glenn, Waerea-Hargreaves, Taylor.

Referee: M Cecchin (Australia).