AUSTRALIA ran in four converted tries in the last 14 minutes to deflate England and run away with the Gillette Four Nations final.
The result might have been predictable but there were moments when a capacity 31,042 crowd at Elland Road sensed a major upset as a Sam Burgess-inspired England saved their best performance of the series for last.
Twice they held the lead before the Kangaroos’ all-round strength proved decisive, with full-back Billy Slater completing his second hat-trick against England in 12 months to give the tourists a flattering margin of victory.
Six points separated the sides after an hour when play was held up for six minutes for England centre Michael Shenton to be treated for concussion and carried from the field.
When play resumed, Slater came up with a miraculous play to create the decisive score and set the Kangaroos on a roll that left a brave England gasping for breath.
The Melbourne full-back juggled with the ball after collecting captain Darren Lockyer’s kick and was over the dead-ball line but in the air when he palmed it back for hooker Cameron Smith to claim the all-important try.
Slater then added two more tries to complete his treble and left winger Jarryd Hayne also got in on the scoring act to run salt in England’s wounds as the Kangaroos reclaimed their world number one status.
It was a sweet way for Lockyer to mark his 50th and farewell appearance as an Australia Test player in England as the Kangaroos atoned for their World Cup final defeat by New Zealand.
But there was no hint of the rout as England, mindful of their abysmal first half against the Kangaroos at Wigan, made the better start.
They provided a demonstration of their confidence by running an early penalty from in front of the posts and the move paid off when Burgess sidestepped through Australia’s first line of defence and delightfully wrong-footed Slater to score the game’s first try, which Kevin Sinfield converted.
The South Sydney-bound Burgess produced a carbon-copy move four minutes later and once more ignored the support but Slater did not buy the dummy this time and the chance was lost.
Instead of being 12-0 up, it was quickly 6-6 with Johnathan Thurston intercepting James Graham’s pass and sprinting upfield to set up the position for right winger Brett Morris to score an equalising try.
Switched from the left flank in an attempt to bring international player of the year Hayne more into the game, Morris still proved a magnet for the ball and he had earlier lost control of the ball over the line.
Hayne was busier in defence than attack and was undone after 18 minutes when Hull KR winger Peter Fox brilliantly out-jumped him to touch down Kyle Eastmond’s high kick.
Sinfield missed the goal and the Kangaroos went in front for the first time after 24 minutes when Hayne broke through and kicked ahead for Greg Inglis to grab the vital touchdown, which was awarded by video referee Phil Bentham.
Thurston’s second touchline conversion made it 12-10 and he increased his side’s lead with a penalty before half-time.
England brought their centres into play for the first time in the series after the break but they only re-discovered some penetration when Burgess re-entered the action nine minutes into the second-half.
Neat play from Sam Tomkins and Gareth Ellis created a gap and Burgess stormed through it to score his second try with his first touch of the ball in his second spell.
Sinfield’s second goal made it 16-14 but the lead lasted only four minutes, with Slater forcing his way through Tomkins for a try from dummy half and Morris diving spectacularly onto Thurston’s clever kick to the corner for his second try and his sixth in four appearances.
The game was still in the balance when Slater came up with his magic and that was the catalyst for the visitors to turn on the style with their late flurry.
