England face a monumental task on Saturday to dethrone the world champions, Australia, and win the World Cup for the first time since 1972 but the great achievement of reaching a first final in 22 years is not lost on the squad following the heart-stopping semi-final victory against Tonga.
England’s plans for the final, however, have suffered a blow with the news that the hooker Josh Hodgson will miss the game in Brisbane because of a knee injury. Hodgson was withdrawn midway through the Tonga match and may require surgery. There are also doubts over the captain, Sean O’Loughlin, who has a quad problem.
Irrespective of what happens in the final this tournament can be judged as a success for England. Given their miserable record in semi-finals – having lost in 2000, 2008 and 2013 – beating Tonga in Auckland takes this squad into uncharted territory and ticks a significant box many in the past have been unable to check.
The Wigan forward John Bateman is a fine example of that. He was two the last time England played in a World Cup final and he believes that reaching the final could provide a significant boost for the sport’s profile in England. “This is really what this country needs – and going all the way would be phenomenal,” he said.
“It’s massive given how much people in Australia play Super League down a lot, and 22 years has been too long for England to wait to be back in the final. Some of the lads – including myself – were toddlers when we last got there and the memories aren’t there. Hopefully we can inspire a new generation and make some special memories in Brisbane.”
The England coach, Wayne Bennett, insisted after the opening-round defeat by the Kangaroos that his team would improve as the tournament continued. That was apparent for the most part of Saturday’s victory in Auckland – before Tonga set up a dramatic finale to leave England narrow 20-18 winners – and their level will have to increase again to stand a realistic chance against all-conquering Australia.
There have been plenty of near misses but the only victory by a team from these shores against Australia since England’s in the opening game of the 1995 World Cup was Great Britain’s famous win in 2006 in Sydney. Australia have not lost a competitive Test for well over two years and Bateman is in no doubt of the size of the challenge facing England.
He said: “We’ll have to be even better than against Tonga, definitely. You look at the way Australia have played throughout this tournament, how good they were against Fiji [the Kangaroos won 54-6] and the fact they haven’t been beaten for years. You don’t get the accolade of being the best side in the world without having something pretty special about you. We know we need to be bang on form; we’ll enjoy this win but there’s no mucking around. Every opportunity, every chance that we get, we have to take against them – or we’ll be punished.”
But for Bateman, who grew up in a working-class community in West Yorkshire before turning professional, Saturday is an occasion he is relishing. Several of his England team-mates played in the same junior set-up at Bradford, a point of pride for the forward. He said: “It’ll be a dream come true to play in a World Cup final with lots of lads I grew up with.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with some of these lads coming through the ranks. I remember meeting Elliott [Whitehead] for my first day of training as a professional at Bradford, so to walk out side by side with him next weekend will be incredible. When you’re playing in the back garden, the imaginary scenario you have is always playing in a World Cup final.”
Ferns too strong for England women
England women’s World Cup campaign ended with a crushing 52-4 defeat by New Zealand in the semi-finals in Sydney.
England conceded two tries in the first six minutes but hit back through Tara-Jane Stanley, who pounced on a kick from the half-back Kirsty Moroney to score midway through the first half, and trailed 14-4 at half-time.
The Ferns ran in seven tries after the break, including a hat-trick for the winger Honey Hireme, to run away with the game and to secure a place in Saturday’s final against the holders Australia, who were 58-6 winners over Canada in the other semi-final. Press Association
