Tonga's World Cup dream is over, but boy did they make England sweat.
In amazing scenes in front of 30,000 mainly pro-Tongan fans at Mt Smart, Tonga had failed to produce an attacking display to match the atmosphere up until that point.
England conceded three tries in the last eight minutes but held on to beat Tonga 20-18 in the second semi-final of the Rugby League World Cup Saturday to join defending champion Australia in a final match- up next weekend which is both expected and unexpected.
Leading 20-0 in the 72nd minute, England appeared to be coasting towards its first World Cup final in 22 years. But it suddenly found itself under siege as Tonga scored late tries though Tevita Pangai Junior, Siliva Havili and Tuimoala Lolohea to draw within two points with less than two minutes remaining.
Tonga then had a chance to win when Andrew Fifita, a superstar of Australia’s Natoinal Rugby League, made a break less than a minute from the finish. With the line open, Fifita had the ball struck from his grasp by England’s Elliott Whitehead, and the final whistle sounded amid a clamour of protests from the Tonga players, who insisted they were due at least a penalty.