IT WAS a case of so near and yet so far for England who were beaten in a dramatic semi final of the Rugby League World Cup.
New Zealand snatched a 20-18 victory with 20 seconds left to leave England, who were captained by Grasscroft-based Kevin Sinfield, heartbroken after they had looked set to defeat the 2008 World Cup winners.
One week after the defeat and Sinfield, who began his playing days at Waterhead, said: “It still feels pretty raw and it shows how cruel sport can be.
“It also showed how small the margins are as we were millimetres away from beating the current world champions and reaching the final.”
Sinfield added there were plenty of positives, however, to take from England’s World Cup campaign in which they only lost by eight points to Australia, the newly crowned world champions, in a group game.
“We did really well against the Aussies and I would have loved another crack at them in the final but, alas, it was not to be,” he said.
Sinfield believes, however, that England have made great advances in recent times.
He continued: “Everybody has been aware that over the last 20/30 years there has been a huge gap between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere teams.
“I was in the England team which reached the semi finals of the World Cup in 2000 and 2008 and we lost each time heavily.
“We have made huge strides in the last five years to close the gap. And if we keep investing in Team England and build on the back of what we achieved here, hopefully it won’t be long before we can bring home silverware.”
Sinfield says it was still an enjoyable experience and there were more positives than negatives, though it was tough to lose in the manner they did.
He added that the tournament was a resounding success with packed stadiums and the profile of the sport enhanced.
Sinfield described leading England in their World Cup campaign as being unforgettable.
He said: “It was a massive honour and the most special moment of my career to captain by country in the finals of the World Cup.
“To experience another World Cup, but also to lead the team, was fantastic.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.