NO PLACE FOR LOSERS
Betts fires warning to Bennett’s braves
DENIS BETTS has warned that no one will remember the England players if they lose today’s World Cup final.
England’s assistant coach is the last player to captain an England side in a final in 1995.
But Betts has spent the last 22 years tortured by his thoughts of ‘What if?’ after his star-studded team, including Jason Robinson and Andy Farrell, lost 16-8 to Australia at Wembley.
Better
The Aussies stand in the way again today and Betts said: “One thing I have learned from my past experience is getting to World Cup finals is not good enough because nobody ever remembers.
“There are no second chances, I know for a fact myself.
“You cannot sit there for 22 years thinking, ‘I wish I’d played better’.
“It was an opportunity that passed us by but now this one is in front of us.”
England have never won the tournament since it was first held in 1954, although Great Britain won it in 1972.
Sam Burgess claims the job is over half done by reaching the final.
“You are at Christmas Eve really,” said Burgess, who will captain the side in the absence of the injured Sean O’Loughlin.
“It is fantastic to be here and we are one step further than four years ago but we’re certainly not just happy to be here.
“It is half a job done. We from JULIE STOTT in Brisbane cannot start celebrating yet because we haven’t done anything just yet.”
Burgess was crocked for the 2008 World Cup and then suffered last gasp semi-final heartbreak with England in 2013.
His switch to rugby union saw him cop unfair flak for England’s humiliating exit in the 2015 World Cup group stage.
But this time Burgess is determined there will be no regrets, adding: “We aim to put our footprint in the history books.
“Now we are here we have got an unbelievable opportunity as a group of men to do something pretty special.”
Burgess is convinced Wayne Bennett’s team are serious contenders and have the bottle for what will be a mighty battle.
Pressure
Last week’s semi-final win over Tonga saw them survive a late fightback and a red-hot cauldron of deafening support from a 30,000 crowd that was almost totally Tongan.
England lost to Australia in the first group game but Burgess said: “If there was a moment not to handle pressure it would have been in the semi-final.
“Sometimes in campaigns the game that is hardest is often the one before the final because both teams are desperate to get to the final.
“That is the hardest hurdle to get over.
“All the pressure is on Australia, it’s definitely not on us. No one is giving us a chance and that’s absolutely fine with us.”