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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Angus Fontaine

Kangaroos out to teach Italy harsh lesson at Rugby League World Cup

World Cup Rugby Italy NRL Rugby League World Cup Australia Samoa David Davies England James Douglas
Australia meet Italy in their final Rugby League World Cup group match when another blowout would not come as a surprise.
Australia meet Italy in their final Rugby League World Cup group match when another blowout would not come as a surprise. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Everyone loves seeing a bully put on their backside. Crowds adore the mouse that roars or a minnow that swallows a whale. International sport is built on such David v Goliath dramas. It’s the victory of heart over head, the triumph of the fight in the dog, not the dog in the fight – a reminder that the favourite is a misnomer and it’s the dark horse we’re often drawn to.

Hence why the handful of upsets in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup so far have been more satisfying than the shellackings and spiflications that are usually the norm at this event. It’s the same reason Trevor Immelman, Rulon Gardner, James Douglas, Anna Keisenhofer, Karne Hesketh and Frank Borghi are names etched deep in the memory of sports fans.*

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