Problem with either him or Graham is that they're Australia based so its a question of do you want your captain to be someone who is in England for all the training camps, the mid season games and media stuff.

Burrow made a few decent metres again,him and roby where the best options I though like you said, many different factors.

Sinfield should have kicked that conversion but who is to say kiwis wouldn't have scored 2 quick tries after that? handling errors could have gone either way on some occasions SBW was done for a knock on that never was and didnt england score not long after that, any thing changes the tide of the game.

It was a great game worthy of a final just the kiwis had more composure when it mattered, mcnamara made some good choices apart from taking a man and not playing him widdop for chase was a good idea and not playing mcillorum was another both of who would have been wound up and could have cost us more.

Plenty of positives from that game and when the WC comes around again who knows we could be the favourites.

Thought Burrow was ineffective and NZ got a roll on it only changed back when Graham and Roby came back on.// Truck and trail.....
I appreciate you'll disagree as a Leeds supporter but Ablett is not international standard IMO and has not really given any indication otherwise during the world cup but think when you have 17 you should use all those in front of you even if to help stiffen the defensive line in the closing stages.

NZ were making alot of easy yardage especially in the last 20 mins of the game. Proud of the team effort though it would have been nice for those down under to get a surprise and lose their crown. Instead its more of the same old final which was predictable from the start NZ v AUS.

Graham and Roby had to come on when they did. We were getting no where in that second half. Ideally they probably should have stayed off for 5 - 10 more minutes. But it was backs to the wall time. Which is why we needed them back. Ablett probably would have got a run if we had not been hammered on our own line at that point.

Only negative for me was kicking game thought it was very average the penalty looked like a tired attempt and sinfield running out is a split second thing. our pack is best English pack I have seen only one not to sure about is ferres

Posted this on another thread, but it be better posting it here.

I still think the 1 per that cost us. Did we maybe try hang on to our lead rather than going for the kill? If we look at the last set of 6, Sinfield went for a kick down the middle rather than touch, it was an ok kick but NZ still started their set of 6 on the 30m line (i think). Should have been banged into touch, even to eat a few seconds up. George Burgess high tackle. Then the missed tackle. If we did one of them 3 things right or better, we would have won. There not the reason we lost the semi, there were many incidents throughout the whole 80 that can be picked. I'm just using them as an example of possibly why we fall short at the highest level.

I thought England were outstanding today, one of the most enjoyable games of rugby i've ever seen. But if we want to move forward from this, we have to look at the small 1 per. I believe we are as fast, strong and skillful as OZ/NZ, we just fall short on the little things. New Zealand have worked on theirs, and look at them now.

You may be right about Ferres. Should have been Danny Kirmond in the second row alongside Westwood

Yeh drop Ferres for hock

Plenty of positives going forward. If Sinfield does retire (he played well today) and we can replace him with someone decent, and add a good centre i think we could be genuine contenders to win a big competition. Usually post tournament everyone is downbeat, but i dont think we are this time. The future could be bright.

I have a pretty realistic view of Ablett. He is a great player in a Leeds shirt and I was surprised he got the nod today. However, he is a very clever runner on the left and has good hands, and I thought Ferres didn't show up as well today as he did against Australia (where he was brilliant). I'm not sure why McNamara picked him and then didn't use him, but I don't think England lost because the 16 guys he did use ran out of gas.
I would have had Roby on for as long as possible, but Burrow on in the last 10 minutes of a half is solid thinking. 10 minutes before half time forwards are feeling fatigued and 10 minutes after half time they may still be cold. I thought Burrow looked sharp before half time but 5 penalties to NZ in the opening 10 minutes of the second half really handed momentum to them, not really down to Burrow. We were never in a position where we had to chase the game - Burrow would have been the man to help with that - so no place on the field for him really in the last 20.

Got in from work after 4. Just finished watching the game, I'm gutted. Nobody can really lay the blame anywhere as it was a belting game between two very good sides. Sinfield had a cracking game, as did our whole pack. Somebody said earlier about 1%'s here and there. That's what cost us today.

Absolutely gutted. If I had a cat I would have kicked it out of the stadium.