Kiwis doctor Simon Mayhew said the worst-case scenario was a broken neck and took every precaution in treating Matai.

"He felt a sharp, searing, burning pain down his right arm," Mayhew said. "There's enough signs and symptoms that he needed to have some imaging to exclude a spinal fracture.

"If we move him in that situation and he does have an unstable fracture, he's a quadriplegic."

Matai, who has a history of shoulder problems, broke down attempting to tackle English second-rower Ben Westwood on the half-hour mark. The game was held up for seven minutes while the Manly three-quarter was placed in a neck brace and stretchered off EnergyAustralia Stadium.

After complaining of neck and arm pain in the sheds, he was rushed to hospital for precautionary scans.

The 24-year-old has been hampered by a bulging disc and chipped bones in his shoulder in recent seasons. He delayed shoulder surgery in order to play in the World Cup.

The latest setback casts serious doubt about his playing future, particularly given the frequency of his shoulder problems in recent times.

The injury overshadowed an entertaining encounter, which threatened to be a blow out after the English got off to a flying start. Coming off the biggest ever loss, last weekend's embarrassing 52-4 capitulation to Australia, the English led by as many as 16 points when Matai came off.

The Kiwis, thanks largely to a four-try haul by mammoth winger Manu Vatuvei, came back strongly in the second half to lock up the scores at 24-24 by the 55th minute.

The deadlock was finally broken 11 minutes from the siren, when New Zealand's hooker Issac Luke earned a questionable penalty after English lock Kevin Sinfield allegedly prevented him from contesting a bomb. Luke slotted the penalty goal to hand the Kiwis the lead for the first time in the match. It was an advantage they didn't relinquish, the result sealed when Nathan Fien scored his second try with just five minutes left. When Vatuvei crossed in the dying stages, he become only the fourth player in World Cup history to bag four tries.

A vocal crowd of 15,145 supporters came out to watch the game. They were treated to a see-sawing affair - the Poms scored four tries in the first stanza to set up a 24-14 lead. However, they capitulated meekly, their defence leaking seven tries in all.

The result means that, should Papua New Guinea beat Australia by two points or more today, England will be bundled out of the World Cup. However, the more likely scenario is a New Zealand v England rematch in Brisbane on Saturday.

The game hadn't even started and already the English were on the back foot. Rather than stare down the haka, they huddled together on their 40-metre line.

New Zealand skipper Benji Marshall described the Englishmen's actions as "disrespectful". "To be honest I thought it was a bit disrespectful," he said. "A few of the boys said that as well. If that's how they want to play the game, that's their choice."

Lions coach Tony Smith said: "Where we play, where we come from, we get in huddles. That's what we do. In some cultures some people may find getting a tongue poked out at them quite offensive as well."

Once the theatrics stopped and the football started, it was all England. Hooker Mickey Higham, a controversial inclusion at the expense of former Man of Steel James Roby, burrowed over from dummy-half to open the scoring in the fourth minute.

Their second try, four minutes later, came courtesy of some Keith Senior magic. The veteran left two defenders in his wake before setting up Rob Burrow to score.

The rest of the first half resembled a game of touch football as the sides traded tries. Manu Vatuvei hit back for the Kiwis, "The Beast" proving unstoppable close to the line despite a brave shoulder charge from Wests Tigers-bound forward Gareth Ellis.

Makeshift English pivot Martin Gleeson's try was cancelled out by Nathan Fien. Likewise, Burrow's solo try, courtesy of a left-foot step, was matched by Kiwis winger Jason Nightingale's 36th-minute effort. England went to the sheds up 24-14.