`Unstoppable. I should know. I tried'

England's Tony Underwood on Jonah Lomu, an All Black juggernaut

Jonah Lomu is just about unstoppable. I should know - I tried hard enough, but getting to grips with the best winger in the world is a tough task and one that I wasn't particularly successful at yesterday.

The theory is first to deny him as much ball as possible. After that you fall back on being pinpoint with your tackling and spot on with your timing. I got it right once, but that was it. You can also try double- teaming, but committing two players to one tackle leaves you exposed. Either way Lomu wins.

Before the match, it wasn't so much being scared of Lomu as anxious about what he could do. The first minutes showed what a 19st sprinter can do and he doesn't have to be in full flow to be dangerous. He's amazingly quick from a standing start for a big man and he is by far the best winger I've ever played against.

Lomu wasn't the only impressive thing about the All Blacks. Josh Kronfeld also stood out in an outstanding team. They played with a pace and dynamism we have never faced before. English domestic rugby will have to develop on the same lines as New Zealand's if we are going to compete.

The All Blacks give each other tremendous support, do the basics extremely well and generate intense pressure on the opposing team. We felt the full force and lesser sides would have lost by 70 points after suffering the start we did. We made a fight of it and out-scored them 26-20 in the second half.

There are no words to describe losing a World Cup semi-final. We are all down, but it's not over for us yet. We have to play France on Thursday in the play-off for third place and it is important that we end this tournament on a winning note.

As for the final, the South Africans have their work cut out. Like us, they will have their tactics, but it will take a colossal effort to stop the unstoppable.

Match report, page 28

Leading article, page 16