FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

The World Cup was scheduled to catch fire with the battle of the Antipodes as Australia took on New Zealand in the first semi-final at Elland Road in Leeds. Australia were overall favourites to win the World Cup, but New Zealand came into the game ranked number one in the world.

New Zealand were given a fourteen point start on the handicap coupon for the Remembrance Day clash after they struggled to come through their semi-final against Fiji, whereas Australia thrashed Lebanon to reach the semi-finals.

The sides were eighty minutes away from Old Trafford and a World Cup Final meeting with either England or Tonga who were scheduled to settle their differences on Saturday afternoon. It was the one hundred and forty-second meeting between the two sides, New Zealand only having won on thirty-four occasions.

After absorbing some early pressure from Australia, it was the Kiwi´s who took the early upper hands as they played their rugby in the Kangaroos half. On ten minutes Jarome Hughes grabbed a deserved first try of the game when Manu jumped to take a high Dylan Brown kick and passed inside for the scrum half to drop over the line. Jordan Rapana added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Australia scored a try from nothing on fifteen when Josh Addo-Carr sprinted from the forty-metre line to take a towering bomb from Ben Hunt and dive in at the corner. Nathan Cleary added the conversion from wide to level the scores.

The game was living up to its pre-match promise.

Cameron Munster was caught offside on twenty-three as he collected a loose ball. Rapana was thrown the ball and slotted the resulting penalty between the uprights from twenty metres out.

Just before the half hour Joseph Manu slipped off a tackle on Jack Wighton and passed from the ground to Valentine Holmes who went over in the corner. Cleary couldn´t add the extras from the touchline, Australia in the lead for the first time in the game.

Another sensational try on thirty-six saw the Kiwi´s snatch the lead for the third time in the game. A sensational break from Ronaldo Mulitalo saw him draw the defender before passing inside to the supporting Brown to go twenty and dive over. Rapana added the conversion for 14-10 at the interval after a sensational forty minutes of rugby.

Four minutes after the restart, New Zealand had a try ruled out for offside. A mass brawl broke out on forty-six, but referee Klein left both sides with thirteen players. It was becoming brutal.

Australia were level again on fifty-three, Cameron Murray crashing between four tacklers and stretching for the line to ground by the right upright. Cleary added the extras to edge his side back into the lead.

Peta Hiku had a try denied for the Kiwi´s on seventy-three when he leapt from outside the field of play to ground on the touchline after New Zealand kicked early in the tackle count. Australia held on for the win by a two-point margin, the favourites making progress.

A sensational game from the first whistle to the final hooter, and the best of the competition so far living up to all the pre-match billing. Two totally dedicated teams threw everything that they had into eighty minutes of end-to-end action. It is Australia who make it to the final, and New Zealand who go home, but they were both a credit to the greatest game and served up an absolute feast of top-notch rugby league.

Australia: Tedesco, Holmes (T), Wighton, Mitchell, Addo-Carr (T), Munster, Cleary (2G), Trbojevic, Hunt, Campbell-Gillard, Crichton, Matin, YeoSubs: Grant, Carrigan, Murray (T), Fa´asuamaleaui.

New Zealand: Manu, Rapana (3G), Hiku, Nicoll-Klokstad, Mulitalo, Brown (T), Hughes (T), Bromwich J, Smith, Fisher-Harris, Papali´i, Nikora, Tapine. Subs: Foran, Leota, Asofa-Solomona, Liu.

Half-Time: 10-14.

Full-Time: 16-14.

Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 6-8, 10-8, 10-12, 10-14 : HT : 14-14, 16-14 : FT .

Lead Exchanges: New Zealand - Square – New Zealand – Australia – New Zealand – Square – Australia.

Referee: Ashley Klein.

Attendance: 28,113 at Elland Road, Leeds.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Fri 11th Nov 2022 9:30 PM | Views : 23800 | Replies : 3 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
Recent
Smith - should he stay or should he go
weaver93
359
Recent
TV games not Wire
rubber ducki
2864
Recent
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
Tarquin Fueg
139
Recent
Ky Rodwell
Spookisback
109
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
23s
BORED The Band Name Game
Boss Hog
56011
48s
Rd 6 I Cas A
Jack Burton
109
51s
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
1m
Smith out ASAP
Backwoodsman
138
1m
Smith - should he stay or should he go
weaver93
359
1m
Ky Rodwell
Spookisback
109
2m
Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE
RobRiches
1934
2m
2024 Southstandercom Prediction Competition Week 6
rhinosTY
36
2m
Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4
Jack Burton
8703
3m
TV Games - Not Hull
Chris71
1385
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
Spookisback
10
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
Cokey
4
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
WWste
23
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Fartown58
6
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
133
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
553
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
677
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
586
Warrington Demolish London For..
691
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
742
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
720
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
958
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
928
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1075
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1047
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1113
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1086
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3869
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1205
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist