I still can't get over it.
Just started running the end through my head in bed and images sinfield stealing the ball at the end instead of missing the tackle

I cannot imagine what the players must feel like.

Isn't he just.

So many what ifs in just 5 minutes of RL! We never seem to be able to get those 50-50 going our way when it matters most. Having said that I thought we lost it in the first half when we dominated them but let them right back into the game before HT.

This stuff about "weak" Aussie and Kiwi sides is just rot of the highest order, IMO.

I've never seen a Kiwi side as strong as this across the park. If Marshall hadn't left to chase the dollar, I'd have them as favourites to beat the Aussies. They're an immensely strong side.

The Aussies are also just inhumanly good. Anyone who describes a side with Thurston, Inglis, Slater etc in as "weakened" is bonkers. Bottom line is that Aus haven't had to play a good side since their first game against England, which they were rusty in, but still won fairly comfortably. But if you watch what they've done since then, it's been astonishing. Against Fiji, 64-0. Against USA 62-0. Against Fiji again 34-2. Against Ireland 50-0. In 4 games against players drawn overwhelmingly from professional competitions, mostly SL and NRL, they've let in precisely zero tries. Even in games which you'd forgive them for relaxing in. And these are no crap sides. Fiji, USA and Ireland would go well in the SL competition.

This is a very strong Aussie side, with talent all over the park. The final between Oz and NZ will be, all things considered, the most outrageously talented 34 rugby players ever seen on a pitch at the same time. The Kangaroos will have too much for the Kiwis, in my opinion, as their backs are all outstanding world class players. But I wish I could have managed to arrange to make the trip up north for the final, as it'll be a rugby league moment to savour.

I should try to avoid letting you drag me down to your level.
I should not fall into your immature traps.

Tomkins knock on, on half way straight from the scrum was a huge turning point as well. Tomkins, hasn't been that great in the tourney I don't think.

You can't just pick out Tomkins, there were too many turning points:

Burgess high tackle
Hall dropping that interception
Hall slipping over
Sinfield missing that conversion

Watch the replay and it was Tomkins' hands that helped us tear the Kiwis apart on their left hand wing...

Still got a huge number if try assists though and I've been impressed with his kicking TBF.

In reply to Christopher regarding Crabtree, I agree he wouldn't have been a better replacement for the four props,, but surely for Ablett who wasn't even used? Bonkers decision not to use him.

I don't feel deflated at all, the current England NZ and Australia teams are the best in their colours i've ever seen.

Luck is a combination of preparation and opportunity

This isnt a classic Aussie team, and is well beatable, the Kiwi's are not weakened as such, but what they are as always are a team capable of raising their performance to a level above the sum of their individual players

Its a worrying one for Tomkins down under where he won,t get the time and space to be a threat in the NRL, the world cup is kind of a rehearsal of how life will be in the NRL.
Will he be able to fix his weakness for the high ball, if not maybe he will be used in another field position, its a big challenge for Tomkins he,s in an isolated postion and won,t be easier than Burgess, Graham etc.

You would think England had just played in the Final.
England played well, made loads of mistakes and was dominated big time for several parts of the game where England had no ball or field position for long periods.

It was the Semi Final, which ever team won today would have a massive task in beating Australia, they are just clicking up the gears to be primed next week, Hayne looks lethal.

There is always next year.

We were totally short (through mispositioning) on that side. As I said before they set up that move and England fell for it. Sinfield realised they were at sea and made a split second judgement - got it wrong but he had to try something. Someone with explosive pace over 15 yards - like Ellerly Hanley of old could probably have got their in time to shepherd Johnson wide.

At the end of the day we lost because we can't handle taking a lead and pushing on. Too much trying to score on every play when we had the chance to push on. I thought it was going to be all about "building pressure" this time? I am afraid we fell short again there. I think too many people, fans included, had an inferiority complex yesterday. To me we should have won that game quite comfortably.

I've got no doubt Tomkins will excel in the NRL.

Fullback in the NRL has been a real glamour position for a long time now, but when you think about it, the talent in 2014 is pretty insane: Tomkins, Inglis, Slater, Hayne, Milford, Barba, Stewart, Dugan, Minichiello/Tuivasa-Sheck, Gordon, Boyd, Moylan...

Completely agree. In that last 5 minutes, we abandoned what had worked so well for 75 mins and started to play 'cling on' rugby. With ball in hand we were soft and too cautious, and in defence we were panicking - hence the burgess high shot, too many numbers sucked into the middle and eventually Sinfield shooting out of the line (we were short on numbers, but ultimately, he shot out and was beaten by the man). We just didn't have the confidence in ourselves that we would and should win the match - we suddenly became nervous and that cost us the match. In those situations, teams like NZ and Oz have just the slight difference in mentality that they 'know' they will finish the game off by continuing to turn the screw with big hard yards and a good kick chase and defensive set.

It was an absolutely shattering end for England - I feel if they'd held on, that could have been the catalyst for them to have the belief to go on and beat the Aussies in the final. Hopefully the team can kick on from here and build on what is the best platform we've had in probably my 30 years of watching - over to the powers that be to ensure this momentum isn't lost.