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.

Graham was great today but he would have been no good in game 1 as he couldn't stay out of the boozer for the week

Then again part of me wants to watch it again.

Maybe the outcome will be different if I watch it again. Especially if I turn it off with 20 seconds to go.

England's last set in possession needed 5 drives and a kick to the corner and a great chase, somehow Widdop ended up under pressure and put up a mid-field bomb that landed just past the halfway line. A good kick there and the game was dead.
Hall hangs on , game is dead.
SBW is simply tackled - no high shot, game is dead.
Sinfield makes the tackle - game is dead.

Nothing went for us in the last 2 minutes. Any one of those things goes right and we win.

Ask yourself this would Ol' Dollar Bill gone down like that if he was 5 metres from the line?

Exactly. We have no real shortage of players that a teammate can look in the eyes during the game when they need someone to stand up and do something. I'm unsure if we really have seen the player who steps in as leader on and off the field.