CLASS outshone blood, guts and sweat in restoring Australia’s rugby league dominance. The Kangaroos cast aside the shackles applied by England for more than an hour, turning on a familiar whirlwind finish to win the Gillette Four Nations last night.

England were only 22-16 down and still chasing the match when they lost Michael Shenton with mild concussion. The delay while the centre received oxygen affected England terribly, and they succumbed to four blistering tries between the 68th and 77th minutes.

Australia sensed their chance and ruthlessly took their opportunities, full-back Billy Slater completing a hat-trick and laying on a try for Cameron Smith with a wonderful piece of athleticism. Jarryd Hayne, the new international player of the year, chipped in with a try, and man of the match Johnathan Thurston added his seventh goal.

Australia had torn England apart in the first 40 minutes at Wigan a fortnight earlier, but endured a second-half battering by the England forwards before winning 26-16. Not only was there no runaway start this time, the home team came firing out of the blocks.

In a remarkable first-half of punch and counter-punch, England landed the first blow after Brett Morris had a try ruled out on Australia’s left wing. Almost immediately, Sam Burgess thundered down the middle of the pitch, the 20-year-old loose forward side-stepping Petero Civoniceva and shimmying his way past Slater for a marvellous opening try.

Whether Burgess believed in his invincibility or not, he took a huge gamble in going it alone a second time when a pass out to Sam Tomkins might have produced a second try.

England continued to press, but a short pass by James Graham was picked off by Thurston, who would have set up a score for Greg Inglis had Michael Shenton not got back to haul down the predatory centre. The result was still a try for Morris, after Justin Hodges beautifully tipped the ball into the hands of his wing.

Within five minutes, England were ahead again. Kyle Eastmond’s mesmeric footwork troubled Australia whenever he had his hands on the ball. The dimunitive scrum-half’s lofted kick over Hayne’s head was snapped up by Peter Fox, although Australia proceeded to dominate the second quarter.

Controversy raged over Inglis’s 24th-minute try, when he reached Hayne’s pin-perfect grubber at full stretch. It took video referee Phil Bentham an age to award it, even though Inglis appeared to have ridden over the top of the ball. Thurston converted, added a further penalty, and Australia breathlessly held up Shaun Briscoe on their line to go in 14-10 at the break.

England once more took up the running, as Tomkins looked to jink his way through Australia’s line and Eastmond goaded the Kangaroos with his soft-shoe shuffles. The lead changed hands for a second time after 49 minutes, when Tomkins guided Gareth Ellis on to the ball, and his perfect offload brought the unstoppable Burgess on to the ball on a perfect angle.

The English defence did all the hard work in denying Kurt Gidley at the corner, but Australia re-established their lead with the first of two tries in five minutes, thanks to a sucker punch by Slater, who poached the simplest of scores from dummy-half. Slater gave the lone Tomkins no chance on the line, as the rest of the tacklers took a breather. England were again caught out by Thurston’s crossfield chip for Morris to collect his second try, giving Australia a six-point lead entering the last quarter. From there, they ran riot.

Star man: Johnathan Thurston (Australia)

Scorers: England: Tries: Burgess (2), Fox Cons: Sinfield (2) Australia: Tries: Morris (2), Inglis, Slater (3), Smith, Hayne Cons: Thurston (6) Pen: Thurston

Referee: L Williamson (New Zealand) Attendance: 31,042

England: S Briscoe; P Fox, C Bridge, M Shenton, R Hall; S Tomkins, K Eastmond; A Morley, K Sinfield, J Graham, J Peacock, G Ellis, S Burgess. Replacements: E Crabtree, J Wilkin, B Westwood, J Roby

Australia: B Slater; B Morris, G Inglis, J Hodges, J Hayne; D Lockyer, J Thurston; B Hannant, C Smith, P Civoniceva, L Lewis, P Gallen, N Hindmarsh. Replacements: K Gidley, B White, A Watmough, S Thaiday