This.

We are capableE of beating nz and samoa are capable of keeping Australia to within 12

It's not over yet!

I think all 3 on report incidents in the first half are penalty sufficient tbh. Farrell has the biggest chance of getting a game but there seemed very little intent and it was more down to an awkward tackling position than anything else. The game really is going soft if people are picking bans up for that in a test match.

Whats the point of making the final?

Another 80 minutes of wrestling, late hits on the kicker, constant late flops and interference at the PTB

Better to just let them play themselves and the rest of us continue playing real RL

We tried to copy the Aussies, which is the only way if the ref is a wrestling fan, and he penalised us.
I'd say we are up against it but should hold our heads up proudly and give it a real go.

England need to make some changes. Burgess for Charnley, possibly even Smith out and Tomkins to 7 with Hardaker at full back if Smith refuses to run the ball. Backrow were all poor - Whitehead and Cooper to come in.

If England beats NZ by one point, then Australia has to beat Samoa by 18 points to out qualify England for the final. Australia may not be able to do it, because Samoa is a strong team and highly motivated.

I imagine this will be the scenario.

Australia campaign to get their game moved back so it
starts after the England game finishes

They need need 8 more points to qualify. Sutton awards a penalty try in the last 5 seconds for an imaginary flop by Samoa on the 40 yard line. Sutton calls time off and forget to restart the clock.

He then awards a penalty to australia as the samoans are looking quite aggressively at the aussies during the conversion.

Far fetched?

Yes, very far fetched, because for starters the England-NZ game is already scheduled to be played a day before the Australia-Samoa game. As for the rest, it is just nonsense.

Brilliant.

My post has been described as nonsense by the guy who posts more nonsense than probably all other posters combined.

If someone had said before the game on Sunday that the Aus v England game would have an Aussie ref AND a Aussie VR, while the kiwi ref officiated the Kiwi game, while the English Ref sits on his . Just because the Aussies wanted it so.

And the Aussie VR turns down a cast iron try to stop the aussies losing the game, because he saw something that no one else reviewing the try has been able to see.

Now - I'd have said that was nonsense.

Of course we can make the final. It was always going to require 2 wins so nothing has changed. If people think it's a very tall order then what is the point in reaching the final anyway - we would have to play either Australia or New Zealand there?

I can see England getting stuffed by New Zealand and the Aussies losing in a close match to Samoa. That'll be an interesting twist on events...!

Samoa to get a second crack at the Kiwis!

In this scenario, the rules state that neither team qualifies for the final and Australia are awarded the trophy.

To be awarded by Gerard Sutton, of the Australian team, to Bernard Sutton, who will receive it on behalf of the Australian team.

These last posts are a little silly, not unlike the Russian-rigged votes in Donetsk and Luhansk.

It is all up to England to beat New Zealand, and then it is up to Samoa to hold Australia to a small margin of defeat, if not win.