Read Chris Irvine's analysis in the Rugby League blog

TONY SMITH said he was an angry man. Angry about the result. Angry about the performance. Angry about the nature of a defeat that dragged the reputation of the national team even deeper into the gutter in this rugby league World Cup.

It ought not to be anger that England’s coach and his feckless players are feeling this morning but shame: shame they allowed the hopes of the followers of a sport that has made great strides in this country in the past decade to believe they were actually any good.

The only people with any right to be angry are the 6,000 or so people who had spent £4,000 each to follow England’s progress. They saw England surrender a 24-8 lead late in the first half with a spineless, aimless and ultimately hopeless performance against opponents beaten three times in a Test series just 12 months ago.

For all the progress of the Super League era, for all the optimism engendered by successive wins for English clubs against the Australian champions in the World Club Challenge, for all Smith’s constant claims things are not as bad as they seem, the irrefutable fact is this could be the worst England team ever to arrive in Australia. No side has ever made the 12,000-mile journey as well prepared or pampered as Smith’s serial losers. Yet the most striking consequence of business class travel, best hotels and a highly qualified backroom staff is a national team little short of disgraceful.

The only saving grace for England is that they meet New Zealand again in the semi-final in Brisbane next Saturday, a match that offers the perfect opportunity for them to salvage some pride from the wreckage of a disastrous campaign.

That pride will only come from winning the rematch against the Kiwis and by at least giving Australia a game in the final a week later. To do that Smith must use all his man-management skills to eke every last drop of talent from a group of players that has so far appeared uninspired, unengaged and unable to realise their so-far latent potential.

There can be no place in next week’s team for the players who have consistently failed to deliver. As effective as they are with their clubs, Leon Pryce, the St Helens stand-off, Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield, Harlequins captain Rob Purdham, St Helens’ ponderous full-back Paul Wellens and Paul Sykes, the Bradford centre hopelessly out of his depth yesterday, should not appear next Saturday.

Sykes’s involvement yesterday raised grave doubts over Smith’s judgment, with the 27-year-old looking deeply inadequate in defence opposite Manu Vatuvei, the New Zealand winger, who made a fool of Sykes on three occasions en route to an impressive four-try haul, including a second-half hat-trick as the Kiwis overturned a 16-point deficit with surprising ease.

England had made a strong start with two tries by Rob Burrow and others from Mick Higham and Martin Gleeson. Purdham converted all four tries and England seemed on their way to victory. They were undone by the might of Vatuvei, the guile of replacement hooker Isaac Luke and full-back Lance Hohaia’s vision.

England could yet bounce back but to do so every player must follow the lead of their Lion-hearted captain Jamie Peacock, a figure who never gave up the ghost in a match that will haunt the memories of every Englishman who had the misfortune to be there.

Star man:Lance Hohaia (New Zealand)

ENGLAND:P Wellens; M Calderwood, P Sykes, K Senior, L Smith; M Gleeson, R Burrow; A Morley, M Higham, J Peacock (capt), J Jones-Buchanan, G Ellis, R Purdham

NEW ZEALAND:L Hohaia; J Nightingale, S Matai, J Ropati, M Vatuvei; B Marshall (capt), T Leuluai; A Blair, N Fien, E Tuimavave, S Mannering, D Fa’alogo, J Smith

Scorers: England:Tries: Higham 4min, Burrow 9min, 29min, Gleeson 16min Cons: Purdham (4) New Zealand: Tries: Vatuvei 14min, 48min, 57min, 78min, Hohaia 22min, Nightingale 37min, Fien 75min Cons: Luke (2), Smith Pen: Luke

Referee:T Archer (Australia) Attendance:15,145