It was smooth sailing for Australia as they booked their place in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals with a 48-4 win over Lebanon at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield on Friday night.
The Kangaroos’ place among the final four never really looked in doubt as they extended their winning run in World Cup games to 16 matches. Their last defeat came in the 2008 final against New Zealand in Brisbane. Australia’s record in the current edition now reads 240 scored and just 18 conceded; seriously impressive stuff from the heavy betting favourites.
Australia drew first blood after five minutes courtesy of Josh Addo-Carr, with his first of five tries, after he was set up expertly by Latrell Mitchell. Ten minutes later, he had his second. This time skipper James Tedesco stormed the line and found ‘Foxx’ in the middle with an easy pass, leaving the 27-year-old with an even easier finish.
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He had a hat-trick sealed inside just 18 minutes when Cameron Munster snatched the ball from former Australia winger and 2017 World Cup winner Josh Mansour, setting up Addo-Carr to join Dom Young at the top of the top scorer charts.
The game quickly became a rout and it looked like Australia were going to score with every opportunity they had going forward. A try from Latrell Mitchell, two from Cameron Mitchell and improvement in some initially suspect kicking from Nathan Cleary saw them 30-0 to the good going into the break.
It didn’t take long into the second half for Addo-Carr to get another, becoming the tournament’s outright top scorer in the process. Mitchell capitalised on a mistake from Mansour to gift the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs man his fourth of the match and tenth of the campaign.
Although their journey has come to an end, it has been a mighty showing from Lebanon in England this autumn. Ultimately though, the power and sheer pace of the Australians took its toll and wore their defensive line down to a nub.
The Cedars are perhaps the most spirited team within the competition, and they got their reward with a well-deserved try of their own in the 52nd minute through Mansour. The New South Wales-born star, who actually played against Lebanon in the group stages five years ago, latched onto an inch perfect kick from Mitchell Moses and touched down for his side’s first try of the game and his fifth of the competition.
Normal service resumed soon after. The superlative defying Addo-Carr grabbed a fifth and final try of the night, one short of the Aussie record, before Liam Martin got in the action to wrap up the game at 48-4.
Attention now turns to Saturday when hosts England look to book their place in the final four when they take on Papua New Guinea at the DW Stadium in Wigan (2.30pm). Shaun Wane’s side’s 196-point group stage haul means that this is already the highest-scoring World Cup campaign in the country's history. Over at Hull’s MKM Stadium (7.30pm), New Zealand will be on a revenge mission against 2017-conquerors Fiji.
Sunday, meanwhile, sees what could be the biggest game of the men’s tournament so far, when Pacific heavyweights Tonga and Samoa collide at Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington (2.30pm).
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