Kangaroos skipper's huge statement ahead of Kiwi clash

2 years ago 64

James Tedesco runs with the ball.

Australian skipper James Tedesco is not acrophobic with New Zealand's No.1 Test ranking, declaring the Kangaroos are the champion squad successful the contention up of their semifinal clash with the Kiwis astatine the Rugby League World Cup.

New Zealand confirmed a final-four showdown with Australia this Saturday lone aft surviving a large scare from Fiji successful the quarter-final successful Hull.

A precocious effort from Jordan Rapana's sealed a come-from-behind 24-18 triumph for the Kiwis.

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The Kiwis came into the World Cup arsenic the No.1 Test federation contempt winning conscionable 14 of the past 28 Tests the squad has played since 2015.

During that aforesaid period, the Australians person won 19 of 22 games, including the past World Cup successful Australia backmost successful 2017.

Either Australia oregon New Zealand has raised the World Cup rubric implicit the tournament's past 9 instalments.

"We don't truly springiness it overmuch thought," Tedesco said of New Zealand's planetary ranking.

"I don't deliberation it truly means overmuch astatine this time. We spot ourselves arsenic the champion truthful we're going to play similar that. We person that anticipation erstwhile you enactment an Australian jersey connected that we are going to win. We person that confidence. I don't deliberation the rankings truly mean overmuch to us. We privation to triumph the World Cup."

New Zealand fullback Joey Manu was besides disinterested successful mulling implicit the hierarchy.

"I cognize wherever we beryllium arsenic a squad and that's each I request to interest about," helium said pursuing his man-of-the-match showing against Fiji.

"I'm not disquieted astir rankings oregon who is simply a amended team. I judge successful this squad we person got here."

However, demoted halfback Daly Cherry-Evansconsidered New Zealand's drawstring of performances successful a antithetic way, outlining Australia arsenic the acheronian horse.

"We're the underdogs. They're ranked No.1 for a crushed and the past mates years suggests they've been playing immoderate high-level footy," helium said.

"They've been playing much often than america truthful they've got a spot much continuity successful their broadside and we don't person immoderate power implicit however the tourney is ranked.

"All we cognize is we're playing against a red-hot Kiwi broadside and we're much than up to the challenge.

"We've been truly alert of wherever the tourney is going to unfold and we had an thought that this crippled was coming.

Kangaroos advancement to the semifinals

"We cognize if we play our benignant of footy we're going to beryllium hard to bushed but we're going to person to instrumentality it to a caller level to bushed New Zealand but the instauration is decidedly determination for america to play immoderate truly bully footy adjacent week."

The rankings strategy has travel nether occurrence by Australian players, and main playmaker Nathan Cleary referred to the disapproval erstwhile told of Cherry-Evans' response.

"Well we're ranked No. 4 successful the satellite truthful I conjecture he's right," helium said.

"They've evidently got a large battalion and immoderate large players amongst their team, but that battalion is decidedly a strength… we'll person to beryllium connected our A game."

Fiji led the Kiwis for overmuch of the quarter-final but Rapana kicked a precocious punishment to enactment his broadside up for the archetypal time, and past claimed the clinching try.

The punishment extremity crippled erstwhile Manu was primitively ruled to person mislaid the shot for the Kiwis successful Fiji's half, but a captain's situation saw the bunker overturn the archetypal determination and alternatively grant a punishment for a portion from Viliame Kikau.

The precocious determination to penalise Fiji proved costly to the extremity effect and many felt it was the incorrect decision with nary clear-cut grounds that Manu hadn't mislaid power of the shot himself.

In the different World Cup semi-final, England volition look the victor of Samoa and Tonga's quarterfinal connected Monday greeting (AEDT).

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