TURN ON Last-ditch Aussie tackle breaks England hearts
mirror.co.uk/sport GARETH WIDDOP Took several heavy knocks and kept coming, capping excellent tournament JERMAINE MCGILLVARY Again made good metres but no try for the first time in competition KALLUM WATKINS Biggest threat with the ball, Josh Dugan’s ankle tap on his break decisive JOHN BATEMAN No-one can fault his commitment but England needed cutting edge out wide RYAN HALL Excellent under the high ball and strong carrying the ball out of defence KEVIN BROWN Well shackled by Australia and brought off for Lomax after 57 minutes LUKE GALE Good long-range kicking game but couldn’t unlock defence near line CHRIS HILL Two excellent stints punching holes in defence, his best of the tournament JAMES ROBY Sharp around the dummy-half, yet again and played the full 80 JAMES GRAHAM Recovered from first-tackle head-clash to produce his usual relentless display BEN CURRIE Stepped into Sam Burgess’ second row slot and didn’t let anyone down ELLIOTT WHITEHEAD Semi-final saviour made more big contributions out wide in defence SAM BURGESS (C) Threw himself into everything green and gold with and without ball KALLUM WATKINS admits he thought he was clear of the defence before the ankle tap that cost England a World Cup.
The Leeds centre – his side’s main attacking threat all game – broke free of the Australian shackles with 14 minutes of an epic final left.
With Elliott Whitehead supporting on the inside Watkins looked certain to draw the full-back and put the secondrower away for an equalising try.
But Aussie three-quarter Josh Dugan produced a desperate, diving effort that clipped Watkins’ heels and grounded the England man. It proved the decisive moment in a defence-dominated clash that left England’s gallant players shattered at the final hooter. Watkins said: “I’m just devastated. I thought I was away but just couldn’t keep my balance. “I’m not even sure whether he got my ankle, the bottom of my studs or whatever. “I had support and it was one of those where one of us would’ve scored. “It was a huge opportunity and if he hadn’t ankle-tapped me it was a try for sure. “We still had opportunities after that to get points but just couldn’t.”
Veteran Australian coach Wayne Bennett (left), whose future is now unclear as his two-year contract has expired, could not have asked for any more effort from his players.
To restrict a Kangaroos side that had racked up 204 points on their way to the final to just one try on home soil was a remarkable effort, but with the ball England just couldn’t find a way through.
Several times they forced the pass unnecessarily while attacking and wasted chances, while Australia took just one of theirs when back-rower Boyd Cordner forced his way over in the 15th minute.
Both sides tore into each other for the remainder of the game but somehow a