England 16 Australia 26
WIGAN - Australia's Four Nations campaign is back on track but only after holding off a fast-finishing England 26-16 at DW Stadium in Wigan this morning (NZT).
Having cruised to a comfortable 26-0 lead at the break, Australia held on for dear life as they finished with 12 men after Johnathan Thurston was sent to the sin bin for holding down the tackled player with seven minutes left on the clock and the visitors leading 26-12.
Winger Lee Smith reduced that margin to just ten when he scampered down the right edge where Thurston had been stationed in defence, but time ran out on the home side, who would have been left devastated by the first half capitulation.
It took only four minutes for Australia to get on the board with Lockyer starting and finishing the movement which took him level with Ken Irvine (33) for most test tries for the Kangaroos.
A pair of penalties to the home side earned Johnathan Thurston a talking to from referee Steve Ganson for a double bout of backchat, but the leg-up proved to be no help as lock Kevin Sinfield could only find Anthony Watmough in support as he lurched towards the tryline.
Then came the eight-minute blitzkrieg in which the visitors blew the game wide open, England's right-side defence cut to shreds with Billy Slater collecting a double before Greg Inglis pounced on an England dropped ball to run 80 metres for a 22-0 scoreline after as many minutes.
The Kangaroos had successfully taken the emotion out of the game as 23,122 fans that had packed into DW Stadium began to fear a repeat of the 52-4 drubbing when the sides last met in last year's World Cup.
With Cameron Smith making way for Robbie Farah, the Kangaroos seemed to lose their way, but they were soon keeping the scoreboard attendant busy again.
A Danny McGuire intercept attempt on his own line went horribly wrong as the Australians pounced on the lose ball to hand Brett Morris his second try in as many tests and the visitors an unassailable 26-0 halftime lead.
Booed by their home fans as they left the field at the break, England soon had them cheering with South-Sydney bound Sam Burgess slamming the ball down thanks to a nice inside ball from James Roby.
The rendition of Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer as the video referee deliberated on Burgess' try summed up the home side's chances, but it appeared those prayers were being answered when Burgess claimed a second in the 53rd minute.
The man in the box correctly ruled the ball had been knocked dead by Justin Hodges, but England were proving there would be no surrender with the packed stands suddenly finding voice as well.
They got even louder when Gareth Ellis reduced the margin to 14 but, with just 11 minutes left on the clock, it looked like England were leaving their run a little late.
- AAP
