Everything was going wrong for the world champions at Wembley on Saturday.

As the final quarter of the Rugby League World Cup semi-final unfolded, their line was being pounded by an English pack that the commentators were justifiably claiming as the best in the game.

When Sam Burgess, equally rightly identified as the man of the match, crossed New Zealand's line with less than 15 minutes to go it felt inevitable. "Let's just see how much character this Kiwi side has," chirped Jonathan Davies, the BBC man who had proclaimed himself an England supporter for the day.

On the restart he laughed his delight as the ball was kicked dead, donating England a penalty on halfway. A couple of plays later and a piece of defensive brilliance by Sonny Bill Williams, New Zealand's talisman, went unrewarded as the officials incorrectly deemed him to have knocked the ball on.

Williams and his colleagues then did manage to gain an ideal attacking position except, unforgivably in this sport, he threw the ball into touch on the first of their six plays.

The holders were going out and yet . . . somehow they found a way to get downfield, and, with less than 30 seconds remaining Shaun Johnson stepped past opposite number Kevin Sinfield and over for a try which levelled the scores. Moments later he nervelessly converted it.

"We always back ourselves if there's enough time on the clock," said Stephen Kearney, their head coach when asked if he had thought the trophy was slipping from his team's grasp.

Less than 24 hours later and the All Blacks' bid to complete a perfect year of Test rugby was in disarray, 22-7 down at half-time in Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Three scores clear, a rampant Ireland side was on course to register a first win over New Zealand. But New Zealand rugby teams simply do not accept defeat.

As Kearney had observed there was enough time on the clock and they backed themselves. Almost a quarter of the second half elapsed before the All Blacks looked to have breached the Irish line. Even then they were denied when the replay official ruled that Israel Dagg had been held up over the line.

Still they kept the faith.

After a 53rd-minute Aaron Cruden penalty, they were within two scores. Then Ben Franks plunged over to let Cruden take them to within one converted try of the win.

An uncharacteristic missed penalty by Jonny Sexton seven minutes from the end only reinforced All Black belief. Facing the situation their countrymen had a day earlier: needing to find a way to score with the last attack of the match, they produced a stunning passage of play to craft the score.

The rarest of decisions in the modern-day game then followed - a retake of a missed conversion from out wide allowing Cruden the second chance he needed to seal a 14th win in 14 Tests this year.

Those of us watching across the Irish Sea could meanwhile only ponder, yet again, the words of Ian McGeechan when he claimed that "New Zealanders are Scotsmen who have learned how to win."

From both rugby codes we were treated to demonstrations of true sporting character at the weekend and it was impressive to behold.