ENGLAND are left needing a favour from Samoa if they are to reach next weekend’s Four Nations final in Wellington.

Their 16-14 defeat to New Zealand, on the back of a close loss to Australia a week earlier, leaves England needing Samoa to beat the Kangaroos by less than eight points at Win Stadium in Wollongong on Sunday morning.

It means Wolves' Chris Hill and Daryl Clark may have played their last game of the season but will be keeping their fingers crossed for one more game.

Steve McNamara’s men will probably rue not making more of their dominance of possession in the first half, when the Kiwis turned round 12-8 in front through being more clinical.

But in the end, two Gareth Widdop conversion misses off the post proved to be the difference between two teams who gave their all and were out on their feet at the end.

England, with Daryl Clark replacing Josh Hodgson at hooker, got off to the worst possible start, with Jason Nightingale scoring after only 104 seconds when he beat Ryan Hall in the air from Shaun Johnson’s high kick.

It came from New Zealand’s first set of six, in which they had gone from one end of the field to the other, and Johnson’s extras with the boot completing a strong opening for the home nation.

But England, looking tasty with the ball in hand, hit back almost immediately from their first set after the restart.

James Graham’s charge caused indecision in the New Zealand defence and then Gareth Widdop, Sam Tomkins and Sarginson combined to put Ryan Hall over in the corner after seven minutes. Widdop hit the post from the touchline to leave England two points adrift.

Jesse Bromwich tackled Graham high in front of the posts and England elected to keep the pressure on rather than taking the easy two points.

Clark was held up close to the line but a Kallum Watkins fumble after a sweeping handling move broke down after 13 minutes.

A penalty conceded by Graham and O’Loughlin on the fifth tackle handed the Kiwis an opportinuty to strike and England were let off the hook when Manu Vatuvei lost possession as he tried to steamroller over Josh Charnley.

Chris Hill and Elliott Whitehead entered the fray together after 24 minutes and seconds later a long pass from O’Loughlin gave Charnley the room to go round the outside of a Vatuvei in no-man’s land. Widdop again missed his conversion off a post but England were in front.

That lead takeover did not last long though, the Kiwis again benefiting and capitalising on a penalty. When the ball was thrown wide Hall probably did not need to creep inside so when he was late to challenge Dean Whare there was enough time to squeeze a pass out and put Nightingale over for his second score in the 30th minute, converted by Johnson for 12-8.

Nightingale looked set for a hat-trick in the 38th minute after Johnson made space for him with a dazzling run but the pass could not be taken in.

With the clock approaching the final 10 seconds of the half, England ran the ball on the last tackle and Farrell got to within inches of the try line before being hauled down.

Two minutes into the second half, after a break from Charnley on the right wing, the ball was shifted to the opposite flank where Hall lost the ball in the act of touching down with a stretched out arm.

After forcing a repeat set, New Zealand got their execution spot on when Nightingale came across from the right flank to make the extra man and feed Vatuvei into the left corner after 46 minutes. Johnson’s missed conversion left the Kiwis 16-8 ahead.

Some exquisite handling in the middle from O’Loughlin set Clark free and he then took a return ball from George Burgess but then a forced pass left Widdop having to tidy up before scrambling defenders closed him down.

Hill scooped up brilliantly for a repeat set after Pita Hiku lost the ball under challenge from Sam Tomkins. That allowed a shift play on the next tackle, with Sarginson stepping off his left foot to just create enough space for Hall to crash in by the corner flag after 57 minutes. Widdop’s successful conversion from the touchline left England only two points adrift.

Watkins denied a try for Vatuvei with a one-on-one steal on the sixth tackle as the Kiwis looked to hit back.

It took a last-ditch tackle from Matty Smith to stop a Simon Mannering surge inches from the try line to keep England’s Four Nations Final hopes alive.

New Zealand controlled the final stages through Johnson’s kicking, forcing England to start all their own sets within 10 metres of their own line.

A kick return from Widdop gave England a final couple of sets attacking the Kiwis 20-metre zone but New Zealand just had enough left in the tank to hold on.

England: Sam Tomkins; Josh Charnley, Kallum Watkins, Dan Sarginson, Ryan Hall; Gareth Widdop, Matty Smith; George Burgess, Daryl Clark, James Graham, Liam Farrell, Joel Tomkins, Sean O’Loughlin. Subs: Elliott Whitehead, Tom Burgess, Brett Ferres, Chris Hill.

New Zealand: Pita Hiku; Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Dean Whare, Matu Vatuvei; Kieran Foran, Shaun Johnson; Jesse Bromwich, Tommy Leuluai, Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Kevin Proctor, Jason Taumalolo. Subs: Issac Luke, Greg Eastwood, Martin Taupau, Tohu Harris.