Rugby League World Cup: England 26-27 Samoa

Stephen Crichton's drop-goal won the crippled for Samoa

England fell to a daze semi-final decision arsenic Samoa won a golden-point thriller to acceptable up a gathering with Australia successful their archetypal World Cup final.

The big federation thrashed Samoa 60-6 successful the tourney opener little than a period agone but Matt Parish's broadside exacted a saccharine revenge astatine Emirates Stadium.

Stephen Crichton's 2nd effort had seen the Pacific Islanders pb 26-20 successful a gripping finale earlier Herbie Farnworth's 2nd effort and a Tommy Makinson conversion took the contention into other time.

A assemblage of 40,489 was astatine the location of Arsenal Football Club, good distant from rugby league's accepted bluish heartlands, mostly expecting Shaun Wane's broadside to enactment connected a show of dominance having swept speech each of their erstwhile opponents.

But respective uncharacteristic errors successful some defence and onslaught saw them travel undone against a ruthless Samoa broadside that showed plentifulness of resoluteness and were objective successful attack.

Tim Lafai's effort was an aboriginal indicator of what was to travel arsenic the highly motivated Pacific Islanders took the crippled to England who fell down for the archetypal clip successful the tournament.

The 31-year-old Salford centre spent 2021 moving arsenic builder aft being released by the Canterbury Bulldogs but helium collected Jarome Luai's walk and evaded Kallum Watkins and Dom Young to transverse successful the near corner.

At times aggression spilled over, with Samoa skipper Junior Paulo sent to the sin-bin for a unsafe tackle connected George Williams. And it was the Warrington Wolves half-back's darting tally betwixt tacklers that sent Whitehead implicit arsenic the big federation responded.

England's susceptible close borderline was exposed for the 2nd of 3 occasions arsenic Ligi Sao's dummy saw him flight Watkins.

Yet the contention appeared to person swung backmost successful England's favour erstwhile John Bateman's effort saw the hosts regain the pb lone to past beryllium connected the extremity of a superb Samoa squad effort arsenic Crichton went over.

Farnworth's powerfulness dragged the hosts backmost wrong touching region arsenic helium held disconnected 3 tacklers and Makinson's conversion and punishment ensured a grandstand finish.

More to follow.

• Fixtures, results and BBC sum times

England: Tomkins, Young, Watkins, Farnworth, Makinson, Welsby, Williams, Burgess, McIlorum, Hill, Whitehead, Bateman, Radley.

Interchanges: Knowles, Thompson, Cooper, McMeeken.

Samoa: Suaalii, To'o, Crichton, Lafai, T. May, Luai, Milford, Hunt, Brown, J. Paulo, Sao, Su'a, Kaufusi.

Interchanges: Harris-Tavita, Papalii, Leniu, Tuilagi.