Kangaroos win World Cup to end Samoa fairytale

2 years ago 87

An Angus Crichton sinbinning aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional threatened to derail an different ascendant show which has seen the Kangaroos clinch their 12th Rugby League World Cup rubric successful a 30-10 triumph implicit Samoa.

Having taken a 14-0 pb into the sheds, the boys successful bluish were fixed a accidental to stroke the crippled unfastened erstwhile Crichton was sent to the sinbin aft a stray forearm successful a dormant shot concern saw Chanel Harris-Tavita knocked retired aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

Teammate Val Holmes had conscionable knocked connected erstwhile Crichton picked up the escaped ball. Playing the whistle, Harris-Tavita ran done to unit the beforehand rower, who lifted his forearm and deed the Samoan prima quadrate connected the jaw.

Harris-Tavita was down for the count, and replays showed Crichton was perchance fortunate not to beryllium sent disconnected by referee Ashley Klein.

Despite having the advantage, Samoa were incapable to break done the Kangaroos defence, and successful information it was the Aussies who scored again done Cameron Murray.

After the game, skipper James Tedesco said his teammates had near their champion show of the World Cup until last.

"We came implicit present six, 7 weeks ago, this radical of blokes and we've formed specified a adjacent bond. It's truthful peculiar representing our state and putting this jersey, truthful it's a truly arrogant moment," helium said.

"It's killed america the past 3 years with COVID not being capable to play for our state ... we conscionable wanted to enactment hard for each different and we showed that tonight.

"We person a squad afloat of superstars. We knew we had the idiosyncratic brilliance, it was conscionable astir bonding arsenic a team.

"We got amended and amended each game, and that was astir apt our champion performance."

Coach Mal Meninga echoes those sentiments, and said the team's 2nd fractional show portion Crichton was successful the bin was "the people of a large footy team".

"The archetypal fractional was exceptional for us. I thought we did everything we request to do, and successful the 2nd fractional we scrambled good defensively," helium said.

"A antheral down, and we scored immoderate points portion that happened - that's the people of a large footy team. They're committed to each different and I'm truly blessed for the boys."

He said Tedesco's beingness successful the campy was "exceptional".

"His talks done the week and the mode he's trained was exceptional. Those archetypal conversations were astir ... humility and respect, being respectful of the jersey. They responded truly good and I conscionable felt they brought their champion crippled tonight.

"They had to enactment truly hard. It's a tough, pugnacious tournament, and arsenic the tourney goes on, fatigue starts to footwear in.

"They've been rewarded for their efforts tonight, and it's been a truly bully mode to decorativeness retired the season."

Samoa manager Matt Parish said his broadside "just ran retired of troops successful the end".

"Disappointed with the effect but couldn't beryllium prouder of the effort, of their committedness to the cause. They played against a champion squad tonight. They were conscionable excessively good," helium said.

"We couldn't rather get adjacent capable to enactment unit connected them passim the game, but I'm truly arrogant of this group. It's been a fantastic journey."

Parish took a infinitesimal to convey not lone Samoans backmost home, but besides to the thousands of neutral fans successful the stands intelligibly supporting the underdogs.

"We're truthful humbled and arrogant to beryllium portion of this Samoan team. To person truthful overmuch enactment astir the satellite has been unthinkable … I'm truthful touched to beryllium portion of this team."

In beforehand of 67,000 fans astatine Old Trafford, the Kangaroos endured a dilatory commencement - completing conscionable 1 of their archetypal 5 sets, earlier yet breaking done the Samoan defence done Latrell Mitchell.

They had their 2nd conscionable minutes aboriginal erstwhile Josh Addo-Carr broke done the enactment earlier offloading to skipper James Tedesco.

Liam Martin got himself a effort connected the half-hour people erstwhile helium bustled implicit with 2 Samoans connected his back.

After the break, Samoa came retired looking to attack, and they came astatine the Kangaroos adjacent harder aft Crichton was binned.

Taylan May looked to person scored successful the country but the last offload from Joseph Suaali'i was called forward.

Moments aboriginal Murray broke done and extended the Kangaroos' lead.

On the hr mark, Brian To'o got Samoa connected the board, and a Stephen Crichton intercept successful the 70th infinitesimal kept them successful the game.

But it was Latrell Mitchell who enactment the icing connected the Kangaroos cake, scoring connected afloat clip to seal a the win.

The Kangaroos triumph ensured an Australian double, aft the Jillaroos earlier thrashed New Zealand 54-4.

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