Tonga 18-20: 5/1 England reach Rugby League World Cup final despite late wobble
Match stats: Tonga 18-20 England
Tonga tries: Pangai Jnr (73), Havili (77), Lolohea (78)
Goals: Taukeiaho (74,77), Lolohea (78)
England tries: McGillvary (10), Widdop (16), Bateman (67)
Goals: McGillvary (12), Widdop (17,52,72)
Match report: Tonga 18-20 England
England withstood a dramatic late fightback from a passionate Tonga to reach their first World Cup final for 22 years.
Prolific winger Jermaine McGillvary scored for the 10th game in a row to put his side on their way to a 20-0 lead but England were hanging on grimly by the end after the Pacific Islanders, roared on by a fervent following of more than 25,000 fans, scored three converted tries in the last seven minutes.
Tonga might have snatched it in the dying seconds when prop Andrew Fifita went on a charge for the line only to lose the ball in the tackle and England clung on for a pulsating 20-18 victory.
They will now face hot favourites Australia in next Saturday's final in Brisbane - the hosts are just 1/8 to lift the trophy with England 5/1 shots with Sky Bet. England, beaten 18-4 by the Kangaroos in the group stage, are given a 16-point start on the handicap.
It may get tougher for England on the pitch when they face the holders but at least they will not have to contend with a cauldron-like atmosphere generated by the Tongan supporters, who included King George Tupou VI and turned Mount Smart Stadium into a sea of red.
England held their nerve and also rode their luck to clinch a first final appearance since Denis Betts led them out against Australia at Wembley in 1995.
Tries from McGillvary, Gareth Widdop and John Bateman looked to have made it a routine victory but in the end England were grateful for the precision kicking of Widdop, who added all three conversions and kicked a crucial penalty that proved the difference.
The in-form McGillvary showed his danger early on by collecting Luke Gale's kick to the corner and, although his final pass was intercepted by Michael Jennings, it gave England the early momentum.
A classic break from Widdop, courtesy of an offload from the impressive James Graham then set up the position for McGillvary to race in for the game's opening try, with Brown and Widdop providing the telling passes straight from a scrum.
It was McGillvary's seventh try of the tournament, took his tally for his country to 12 in just 11 appearances and enhanced his burgeoning reputation as a world-class player.
Widdop's conversion went in off an upright and England's luck was also in moments later when Tonga captain Sika Manu thought he had finished off a glorious move from deep inside his own half only for referee Matt Cecchin to rule Jennings had made the final pass from off the ground.
More profits for Ian Millward
Our rugby league tipster - the two-time Super League-winning coach Ian Millward - continued his impressive tipping record in the World Cup with Jermaine McGillvary's try ensuring a fourth week of profit out of five in the competition.
Ian also looks set for a full house with his ante-post tournament picks. England to reach the final (5/4) is now in, as is Fiji to win their group at 8/11.
It now seems almost certain that 7/1 selection Valentine Holmes will finish as the top tryscorer, while in the same market 22/1 Suliasi Vunivalu is highly likely to earn a place.
Cecchin also thought Widdop had been tackled when he planted the ball over the line in a second effort after taking Elliott Whitehead's pass 10 metres out but video referee Ben Thaler disagreed and awarded England their second try after 15 minutes.
Widdop's second goal made it 12-0 but England lived dangerously up to half-time, with Tonga's dangerous offloading game causing them all sorts of problems and they were indebted to Widdop's last-ditch tackle on winger Daniel Tupou to keep their advantage intact..
England knew it was their day when Tonga bombed a glorious chance three minutes into the second half, Tupou dropping Will Hopoate's pass with the line at his mercy, and Widdop took the opportunity to put his side three scores in front when he kicked a 50th-minute penalty.
Widdop then supplied the final pass for Bateman to score England's third try after 66 minutes which looked to have put the seal on an impressive victory.
But the few hundred England fans were left biting their nails after Tevita Pangai's 74th-minute try sparked the late comeback, which continued when hooker Siliva Havili skipped over from dummy half and skipper Jason Taumalolo carved out a try for Tui Lolohea, who added all three conversions.
Match reaction: Tonga 18-20 England
The two coaches disagreed over Tonga's late disallowed try which would have given them the victory.
The ball came free in England second rower Elliott Whitehead's tackle and, although Andrew Fifita claimed a try after regathering the ball, referee Matt Cecchin ruled a knock-on and promptly blew the final whistle.
England coach Wayne Bennett insisted it was not a try and claimed the referee ought to have given England a penalty moments earlier for a ball strip on winger Jermaine McGillvary.
"The ref allowed play on and exactly the same thing happened to Fifita," Bennett said. "He got the ball stripped off him one on one. In both cases he should have given a penalty but he did neither. It comes under the category of a loose carry."
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf questioned the decision not to refer the call to video referee Ben Thaler and said he would be bringing up the incident with tournament officials.
"I don't know if it's a try or not because I haven't seen it again but I would have thought under those circumstances, when the game is on the line, you have a look at it, especially when we looked at other tries 10 or 12 times," Woolf said.
"That really surprises me. I just can't get my head around that.
"We've got to ask the question. It doesn't matter now because the game is done but you've got to ask the question for your own piece of mind."
Bennett claimed he was never worried over the outcome, despite seeing his side's lead reduced from 20-0 to 20-18, and was delighted with his side's defence.
"I wasn't nervous," he insisted. "The time clock was on our side.
"It was a quality game of football. It was a sell-out crowd and the atmosphere was great. Both teams turned up and threw everything at each other. We had our hands full but we got the job done.
"They had some chances but we kept turning up in defence which was great. At the end of the day, our defence won the game for us. I'm really pleased with that."
England will almost certainly go into the final without hooker Josh Hodgson, who went off with a knee injury after 23 minutes.
"I'm not sure what's going on there," Bennett said. "I don't think he'll be right to play next week. You don't normally limp off like that and play next week."
Bennett says captain Sean O'Loughlin is also in some doubt after picking up a quad strain.
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