GB/England have always made beating 'lesser' teams hard work. Why I don't know. However they are infinitely superior in every facet of the game than PNG. As I say they will make hard work of it but they will do it easily in the end.

Tonga are a much harder proposition but true to the British nature the more they look like the possible underdog the better they will play. I think they will be pumped to play Tonga purely because they will be written off in some quarters.

That said I don't really care how pedestrian England are until the final, just grind out the wins if they can. England only need one maybe two good games and they are word champions.

My team Ireland did great, how can you win two and not get through - gutted!

Or they thought the job was done with 8 mins left and started to mentally clock off.

I opened the Times this morning expecting a decent write up.

Just 3 short paragraphs side snippets. Loads about union and cricket.

To be fair we'd lost Hodgson and Lockers, so it's hardly a surprise the players were blowing at the end. The bias from some of the media in the Sth hemisphere is ridiculous, especially in the Australian TV coverage. Kimmorley et al are a joke.

with 7mins to go and 20-0 up there wasnt any pressure!!

maybe clocked off/got tired/great tongan last effort/miracle after that but left themselves too much to do in the end.

England are battered, bruised and exhausted now.. will give it a good go for the first 30mins next week then it will all take its toll and aussies will run loose i think