If England can somehow sustain an 80-minute performance, rather than the 40-minute one on Saturday that rattled a previously rampant Australia, they may yet get another crack at the Kangaroos in the Gillette Four Nations final.

England’s transformation after being jeered off at half-time in Wigan, when they trailed 26-0 to opponents whose speed and copious skill were a haunting reminder of recent encounters, represented the team’s most significant advance since their desperately disappointing 2008 World Cup campaign. At the end, they left to a standing ovation.

When it looked as if none of the lessons of the 52-4 drubbing by Australia in Melbourne last November had been absorbed, a suddenly uninhibited England responded with a display of daring and spirit.

All of which left those watching wondering what thought process had gone into such a submissive first half. England played into the hands of bristling opponents, who atoned with five scintillating tries in the first 32 minutes for their opening 20-20 draw with New Zealand. England must now beat the Kiwis in Huddersfield on Saturday to reach the final at Elland Road on November 14.

If Tony Smith’s side are to overcome New Zealand, which they twice failed to do in the World Cup, their second-half performance pointed the way. Behind a pack of forwards who began to fly into tackles, disrupt the Kangaroos’ rhythm and niggle away at their discipline, Sam Tomkins, the 20-year-old scrum half who did not get the ball in his hands until after Australia’s third try, took up the challenge with a beguiling relish.

The Wigan youngster’s step in flummoxing Darren Lockyer and Luke Lewis and offload in Petero Civoniceva’s tackle to the unstoppable Gareth Ellis for the second of England’s three tries came as no surprise to his home-town admirers. His performance quietly delighted Smith, who must be looking at pairing him at half back with the tricky Kyle Eastmond or Richard Myler for the New Zealand game, after Danny McGuire’s indifferent last-tackle options.

“We were a little too cautious in taking chances,” Smith said. “When you’ve players like Sam, Kyle and Danny, you probably need to chance your arm a little bit, because they’re opportunists. They showed what they can do and Sam and Kyle were dangerous.”

Significantly, the impetus for England’s fightback came from the youngsters and fresh faces in the side. Sam Burgess’s contribution from the bench, not least his opening try, was immense. He was well supported by Eorl Crabtree, the 18st nephew of the late wrestler, Big Daddy. “I’m not normally a nervous person but it did get to me a bit,” he said. “Then you rip in, get more confident and realise they do make mistakes under pressure.”

James Graham, Ellis and Ben Westwood — the Warrington Wolves forward had one of his best games — rolled over their opposite numbers and Eastmond’s looping pass for Lee Smith’s try in the corner made for a nervy last seven minutes for Australia.

England’s execution, though, was still not as crisp as Australia’s, while the impeccable kicking games of Lockyer and Cameron Smith highlighted another big difference. Then there was the challenge offered by Greg Inglis, the centre described as a “freak” by Johnathan Thurston, the scrum half. Each of the Australia tries came down England’s right side, where Smith, McGuire, Kevin Sinfield and Tom Briscoe, who was withdrawn at half-time, had no answer to the rampaging Inglis. The latter scored one try from 80 metres and laid on others for Lockyer and Brett Morris and the second of Billy Slater’s brace.

England’s defensive deficiencies will hardly have escaped the notice of New Zealand, who are likely to have the predatory Krisnan Inu at centre, after Steve Matai suffered bleeding in his left eye during Saturday’s 62-12 defeat of France in Toulouse. Nor has England’s task in the 2010 Four Nations in the southern hemisphere been made any easier by Papua New Guinea’s qualification as the fourth nation, after they beat the Cook Islands 42-14 in yesterday’s Pacific Cup final.

Scorers: England: Tries: Burgess, Ellis, Smith. Goals: Sinfield, Smith. Australia: Tries: Lockyer, Slater 2, Inglis, Morris. Goals: Thurston 3.

England: S Briscoe; T Briscoe, L Smith, M Shenton, R Hall; D McGuire, S Tomkins; A Morley, J Roby, J Graham, J Peacock, G Ellis, K Sinfield. Interchange: E Crabtree, S Burgess, B Westwood, K Eastmond.

Australia: B Slater; B Morris, G Inglis, J Hodges, J Hayne; D Lockyer, J Thurston; B Hannant, C Smith, P Civoniceva, A Watmough, P Gallen, N Hindmarsh. Interchange: B White, D Shillington, L Lewis, R Farrah.

Referee: S Ganson (England).