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.
Jermaine McGillvary
Tweet of the match
Key Moment
England’s hearts were in their mouths when Tonga prop Andrew Fifita went on a charge for the line with seconds remaining. The ball came loose in the tackle from England’s Elliott Whitehead and Fifita regathered the ball to touch down but referee Matt Cecchin ruled it was a knock-on and declined to refer it to the video referee.
Main Man – Gareth Widdop
Widdop is revelling in his switch to full-back as he scored one try and provided the final pass for the other two. He also pulled off a tremendous last-ditch tackle on Tonga winger Daniel Tupou that kept his side in command.
Player ratings
England: Gareth Widdop 8 (out of 10), Jermaine McGillvary 7, Kallum Watkins 6, John Bateman 6, Ryan Hall 5, Kevin Brown 6, Luke Gale 6, Chris Hill 7, Josh Hodgson 7, James Graham 8, Sam Burgess 7, Elliott Whitehead 7, Sean O’Loughlin 7. Interchange: Alex Walmsley 8, Tom Burgess 7, Ben Currie 6, James Roby 7.
What’s next
Brisbane: Saturday, December 2, World Cup final, Australia v England.
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