LONDON: New Zealand broke England hearts with a last-gasp converted try to edge their gripping Rugby League World Cup semifinal 20-18 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Tournament co-host England was 30 seconds from reaching the final until Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson slipped his counterpart Kevin Sinfield and wrong-footed last defender George Burgess to dive across the line and make it 18-18.

Johnson also made the conversion, his fourth goal of the game, and punched the air before he was swamped by teammates.

“We always back ourselves if there’s enough time on the clock,” Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney said. “I was always confident (of winning) if we gave ourselves an opportunity, and with two minutes to go we did. We were fortunate. Our lads kept fighting and kept hanging in there.”

New Zealand, the defending champion, will play either Australia or Fiji in the final next Saturday at Old Trafford.

The first semifinal of the Wembley doubleheader, which drew more than 70,000, grew into an epic from the opening kickoff. England soaked up intense Kiwis pressure, then led 8-0 before the defending champs tied the score by halftime. New Zealand went ahead 14-8, but England came back to retake the lead at 18-14 with 13 minutes to go.

England was close to putting the match away, but the Kiwis were given life in the last minute by a penalty from a high tackle on Sonny Bill Williams by George Burgess. And the individual brilliance of the Kiwis trumped England’s best team effort in years.

“We’re bitterly, bitterly disappointed,” England coach Steve McNamara said. “It’s a very cruel way to finish.”

England barely survived a New Zealand onslaught in the first dozen minutes. Hooker Isaac Luke was denied a try from his own grubber into the in-goal by the foot of England fullback Sam Tomkins, and a minute later winger Jason Nightingale was bundled out in the left corner by England counterpart Joshua Charnley. Prop James Graham also came up with a try-saving tackle after a New Zealand breakout from deep.

When the English turned the pressure back on the Kiwis, they scored through the forward. Graham fed Sam Burgess, who sliced through two tackles and offloaded in another for Sean O’Loughlin to go over. Sinfield converted and added a penalty for 8-0 after 25 minutes.

New Zealand finally replied with a try of utter genius. Kieran Foran cross-kicked on the last tackle, and Nightingale jumped in the left corner to keep the ball in. The ball was swept right, and Luke threw a huge over-the-top pass that appeared to be bouncing over the right sideline. But Dean Whare caught the ball in mid-air over the sideline and reverse-flicked a pass straight to winger Roger Tuivasa-Scheck, who took advantage of a stunned England to score the converted try. Johnson nailed a 46-meter penalty to tie the score at the break.

The Kiwis led for the first time in the 44th when England wing Ryan Hall went to intercept Kiwis fullback Kevin Locke but missed, and Tuivasa-Scheck scored his second try of the match. Johnson couldn’t convert but made a second penalty for 14-8.

England showed its mettle. Right wing Kallum Watkins caught the Kiwis flat-footed to cut the deficit to two, and Sinfield also delivered the final pass for Sam Burgess’ go-ahead try. Sinfield converted, and it was 18-14.

England had the Kiwis at their mercy twice more, but second-rower Ben Westwood dropped the ball reaching for the tryline, and Hall dropped an intercept. Late penalties kept the Kiwis’ hopes alive in the last five minutes, and they ended up stopping England’s campaign in the semifinals for a third straight World Cup.

“We got not what we deserved,” Sam Burgess said. “It’s going to take a while to get over this one.”