England captain Kevin Sinfield insists his side deserved to be in the Rugby League World Cup final after they suffered a heart-breaking last minute defeat to New Zealand at Wembley.
With seconds to go half-back Shaun Johnson crossed over the line before converting his own try to give his side a path into next weekend’s final at Old Trafford.
England were trailing 14-8 at one point in the game before coming back to lead 18-14 after Sam Burgess powered his way over the line. A late penalty after a high shot on Sonny Bill Williams gave New Zealand the chance to attack, and Johnson took the opportunity with both hands.
Sinfield, who was playing in his last World Cup, admitted it will take a couple of weeks for the defeat to settle in.
He said: “I’m pretty devastated. We gave it everything we had. To be so close yet so far away at the end is horrible. I actually felt the best team lost. To lose in the last 20 seconds is a killer. I don’t think by any means we had the game won but I felt we were in control.
“I’m sure in the next couple of weeks what’s happened will sink in but I think we’ve made some huge strides over the last three years and certainly the last seven or eight weeks has showed that English rugby has a future.
“I certainly won’t play in another World Cup but going forward I’m not quite sure. We’ve made some strides as a group and I think we should celebrate that and wish New Zealand all the best for the final.
“Going forward, hopefully in the next couple of tournaments we can bring some silverware back.”
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