That’s it from me for tonight. Two quality games to kick off the long awaited tournament. They were both one-sided but showcased just how dangerous some of the heavy hitters will be over the next few weeks.
Australia are favourites for a reason. They barely got out of third gear against Fiji and cantered to an easy win. Immense on defence and clinical, for the most part, in the red zone. A few kinks ti iron out, but they’ll surely get that sorted.
I hope you enjoyed the coverage today. Til next time.
Here’s the Aussie coach, Mal Meninga:
I’m happy with that. We got through it pretty well. Really happy with the defence. A few things to fix up with the ball, but overall, very happy.
The effort around our defence was spot on. All the things we asked of our players [they did really well].
We’ve got some competition in the team. We’ll rest a few guys next week and play some others who can put their foot forward.
We talked about how it would be clunky from our point of view. We’ve only been here for a week. We’ll improve as the tournament goes on.
I’m with the pundits on the Beeb. I thought Harry Grant should have been player of the match. He was so good off the bench. Every time he got his hands on it the Aussies looked like doing something.
But you know what, credit to Munster. He was class as well. It could have been anyone, to be fair. If we’re honest, the real player of the match was the Kangaroos’ defence coach.
Here’s the player of the match, Cameron Munster
There was a bit [of rustiness]. We should have scored a lot more points but didn’t execute. We go back to the drawing board and can hopefully be a bit better. But happy with the performance.
Fiji are a really good side. They have a lot of talent, a lot of heart. It didn’t surprise me that they scored first. Hopefully the go well in this tournament.
I’m very luck to be in the middle and have [all the very fast wingers and outside backs] who make me look good.
FULL TIME: Australia 42-8 Fiji
Clinical. Efficient. Ruthless. Australia were all those things. They were also rusty, which is why this dominant display didn’t have an even greater margin of victory. But they won’t care.
Grant was great, pulling string and stabbing through kicks. Addo-Carr’s 80 solo try was a joy to watch and Tedesco showed his class.
The real triumph was the Australian defence. Wave after wave of white Fijian attacks crashed on green rocks. Immovable. That’s the best word to use. The champions are up and running.
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80 mins: Even with the game well and truly buried, Australia are defending as if they have a title on the line. That is what makes them champions. Fiji can’t get anywhere and their attack ends with them losing the ball on the left. Game over.
79 mins: There are bodies everywhere. Australia knock on inside Fiji’s territory. Fizzling out slightly. One more set for Fiji I reckon before we hear the final whistle.
TRY! Australia 42-8 Fiji (Turuva, 26)
That’s a rugby league try but it started with a soccer move. One kick through was met by another kick by Turuva who then gathers the bouncing ball and dots down over the line. That was almost tiki-taka. Fiji deserve that consolation. They’d been hammering the line with busting runs through the middle. Wakeham misses the conversion. Not that it matters too much. He’ll be annoyed with himself, mind.
75 mins: Nanai has tip-tackled Wakeham. No malice, but that was dicey. They shake hands after and the Fijian isn’t hurt so it’s no card. Just a pen.
73 mis: Valemei is nailed in the tackle. The ball is recycled though and finds its way left. The bal goes right. Quick hands. They’ve got an overlap but cut back in field. Wrong decision. There was a man on the flank and Australia have it back. Not for long. Fiji have it again after Cherry-Evans coughs it up. Becoming a little messy now.
71 mins: Mitchell does brilliantly to find a hole in midfield but his pass left isn’t gathered. Addo-Carr, chasing a hat-trick, punches the ball in frustration. Australia want more.
TRY! Australia 42-4 Fijie (Addo-Carr, 68)
Another aimless kick from Fiji means Australia can canter up field. They advance it upfield. Grant busts a tackle and grubs a kick forward and Addo-Carr, with nitroglycerin in his shoes, runs on to it and makes the points safe. Lovely try. Grant is having a stunner of a game. Holmes, again, makes no mistake from the tee.
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65 mins: Fiji aren’t giving up. They’re charging into the green wall with gusto but are hardly making dents. They’ve got no choice but to hoof the ball into Aussie territory. It’s mopped bu and Mitchell takes it back up field. Crichton also involved with a ploughing carry. Nanai pops a back of the hand off-load that gets the crowd’s attention. Fiji earn the handover 20m from their own line.
TRY! Australia 36-4 Fiji (Tredesco, 61)
Of course he was going to score tonight. The skipper takes the ball in front of him, steps off his right foot while throwing a dummy pass and shaking off Koroisau. Tredesco shifts back in field and rides the challenge of two Fijians. He needs to twist in the tackle and dot down, making it look so simple. Brilliant fullback play. He had front foot ball but that was hardly a gimme. Holmes kicks his sixth kick to maintain his 100% record tonight.
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59 mins: Oh no! That was the chance and they make a mess of it. Valemei spills the ball under pressure after his teammates work a slick move down the left. All he needed to do was gather and pass and the man on the overlap had an easy score, but couldn’t do either.
58 mins: Fiji are so close but just can’t find the space. Such tenacious defence from Australia. Fiji are direct but lack the innovation to work a gap. When they send it wide and give the ball air rush defence from Australia snuffs out the danger.
Fiji have the ball back after an Aussie knock-on. 20m out.
Big head clash! Cotter was knocked out there for a second. His head makes sickening contact with Kamikamica’s but it’s the Aussie who comes out worse. His eyes roll back momentarily and he goes limp as his body heads to the ground. He walks of the field but that was nasty.
TRY! Australia 30-4 Fiji (Grant, 54)
Australia have the ball in the red zone because of Grant’s 40-20 so it’s only fitting he has the final say on this move. The ball goes right and then comes back left. Grant runs a wonderful line across the Fijians and gets the ball at pace. He keeps moving left before straightening and darting for the line. No one can lay a hand on him and scores the try that’s subsequently converted.
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53 mins: Better from Fiji. Wong involved in this charge up field. Naiqama as well. They get into Aussie territory and hoist a cross field kick. They can’t come away with the ball but that looks the most likely chance of them working the space.
Australia get up the field and win a 40-20 from Grant with a raking kick. Excellent punt.
50 mins: Fijian ball deep in their own territory from a scrum in midfield. Ball goes right. Then left. Wherever it goes there’s at least two Aussies to close down the runner. Fiji going nowhere. Carrigan impressive on defence as well. Fiji have to kick.
Addo-Carr takes it back up field. Holmes moves it pat the 50m line. Carrigan knocks on in the challenge.
Kikau has copped a blow to his head so will go off for some treatment and a check. He does look groggy. Hope he’s OK.
48 mins: How did Australia not score there? Munster is all over this pitch. He gets it on the chrage within striking distance and plays it left to Addo-Carr. You’d have bet the farm on the winger making a dart for the corner but he plays an odd grubber back in field. It almost works as three men in green are waiting but it misses them all and bounces beyond the dead ball line.
TRY! Australia 24-4 Fiji (Mitchell, 45)
Another scorcher of a try with Addo-Carr heavily involved. Munster starts the move and spots space down the blindside. He frees his hands and unleashes Addo-Carr down the wing. The winger screams down the flank and has the vision to play it back inside to Munster who stays in support. Mitchell is on his inside and gets the ball to slide under the posts. Brilliant footy from the champions. So clinical. Two more points from the conversion opens a 20 point gap.
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44 mins: Carrigan, again. My goodness, he’s a battering ram. Australia targeting the middle of the park. They then kick to the corner and put heaps of pressure on the Fijians cleaning up. Moceidreke kicks but doesn’t have any support runners. Australia counter….
42 mins: Australia get the ball but make an error on the ground. Wighton doesn’t play the ball correctly on the ground so it’s Fiji’s to use.
Sadrugu takes it close to the red zone. Turuva, who had a quiet first half, gets on the ball. Koroisau pops it right for Wakeham who kicks through but it catches an Aussie knee and now the ball is with green.
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Right then. They players are back out. Fiji have to score first but even then, Australia just looked so comfortable, they probably have two more gears they could reach. let’s see how they get on.
HALF TIME: Australia 18-4 Fiji
It was a dream start for Fiji who scored a wonderful try with less than five minutes on the clock. But the Kangaroos are the footy kings for a reason. Once they gained their composure they drove it through the middle, kept their defence water tight and found half gaps as they emerged.
Addo-Carr’s blistering 80m try was the standout, but it was more a case of ruthless efficiency that sees the reigning champions take a healthy lead to the break.
I’m off to make a quick cuppa. See you in a few.
40 mins: Australia get the ball back after a collision off the ball. Mitchell things he’s scored. But it’s a knock on. Scrappy end to the half.
38 mins: Carrigan is relentless. He’s won just about every collision he’s been involved in. Grant also busting it up through the midfield. Australia handover 10m out on the left. Fiji take it back up through the middle. They can’t find any space out there. The Aussies seem to be defending with an extra man.
TRY! Australian 18-4 Fiji (Crichton, 36)
Carrigan, Micthell, relentless running from Australia. They inch it forward. Mitchell picks it up and plays a wonderfully weighted short ball to Crichton running on the angle. He’s too strong from the tackler on the line and gets over with a stretch of his meaty arm. Just ruthless from the ‘Roos. Holmes adds the extra two points.
35 mins: Cherry Evans lifts a teasing kick and Munster is underneath it. All he has to do is catch and fall over the line. He gets up but can’t hold it, spilling it as he lands. Another missed opportunity. Great kick from Cherry Evans. It’s slippery out there, that would be his only defence. That and a Fijian proving a legal obstacle.
33 mins: ValemeiSivo gets it in space on the left but can’t punch through the half gap. Tye ball goes right and then left again. Sadrugu is strong in the tacjle. Kikau collects a short flat pass. Wakeham is so close to collecting the kick through, what a poke that was off the toe, but he spills it over the line. Big moment in the game.
31 mins: Valemei does really well collecting a flat pass on the right. A good kick that follows puts Australia under pressure on the right. The kick chasing has been solid from the Fijians. It’s an arm wrestle. Carrigan has the ball after being tackled but spills it as he rolls it through his legs. Knock on. Fijian ball from a great platform.
28 mins: Fiji back on the ball. They look ragged already. But they’re charging into contact with enthusiasm. They reach Aussie territory before hoisting a high kick. Sivo can’t haul it down as Australia gather well under pressure. They launch a counter from deep. Send the ball left and then right, taking to the halfway line before kicking. Fiji run it back into the maw.
TRY! Australia 12-4 Fiji (Addo-Carr, 25)
Coast to coast! Blistering pace from Addo-Carr. He’s been dubbed the fastest man in the game and he’s proved that with a scorching solo effort that began with his heels on his own try line and ended with him dotting down beyond Fiji’s. A poked kick from Fiji was mopped up and swiftly shovelled left where Addo-Carr had a sliver of space. That’s all he needed. He hit the nitro-boosters and screamed up field. What a score. Holmes’ conversion stretches the lead.
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24 mins: Australia’s defensive line speed is so impressive. They’re suffocating Fijian runners before they’ve had time to think. Still, Fiji get up past the halfway line with strong runs. Nakubuwai shakes his man. Tghere’s a great kick through but Tedesco mops up after it bounces off the post.
No try. Nanai did ground the ball over the line but he had already been tackled so the ball was effectively dead already.
21 mins: A good counter run from Wong gets Fiji going forward but they lose the ball again. Cherry-Evans crucial there in the tackle. Tedesco does brilliantly to keep the ball alive by wrestling it away from the Fijians. He offloads and its recycled. Nanai collects against the grain and busts over the line. Has he got it down? he arrived onto that with great pace. Would be a heck of a finish, behind the back, if he has.
19 mins: The restart doesn’t work well for Fiji. They give up a penalty and then get docked a further 10m for arguing with the ref. Australia have the ball back in Fijian territory. Tedesco jinks, Holmes looks for a gap. There’s a cross-kick from right to left. It hangs up in their air, Mitchell is underneath it can’t get hold of it. Australia have the feed to the scrum right in front of the poles. All very scrappy though as Faasuamaleaui can’t collect the pass.
TRY! Australia 6-4 Fiji (Nanai, 16)
That’s more like it. Nanai is a try machine in the NRL ane he gets one here. Collects a flat early pass from Cherry-Evans and steps off his right foot, working a half gap. He accelerates and charges to the poles. It looked simple, but it was anything but. High quality footy made simple. Holmes slots the extras as the ‘Roos nudge ahead.
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15 mins: Munster sends it left. Faasuamaleaui gets it on the run through the middle. Munster pops a short pass but Australia knock on in the red zone. Mitche;; stepping but can’t offload as he loses his patience.
Fiji slow things down with some short balls in midfield. Kamikamica gets through the challenge. Koroisau makes an error, though, and possession changes again. Both teams a little sloppy.
13 mins: Faasuamaleaui is everywhere. Cherry-Evans is dictating play. The ball goes right. There are numbers and space but, oh, a Fijian, (who was that?) sticks a hand out and steals an intercept. They survive the onslaught. But they cough it up again. Aussie ball. The green wave will be back after this scrum.
No card, but a pen for Australia 1m out in the right corner.
11 mins: A good run back in field from Murray gives the ‘Roos go fofward. A spinning wide pass from Cherry-Evans finds space on the right. It bcomes back in field and they have a new set og six to play with 5m out. A pass left and then a pass right creates an overlap left. Munster straightens but can’t fund a gap. They’re so close. Taulagi gets it from a Tedesco pass. He’s diving for the line but two Fijians prevent him from dotting down. Great scrambling defence. Could be a card, though, for a high hit.
9 mins: Australia have kick and it’s a good one in the corner. The chase is good too so Fiji scramble to escape. But they do so with composure. Australia are ramping up the tempo. Trbojevic involved in a few heavy charges. Penalty Australia who kick it into touch 10m into Fijian territory. They seem to be waking up.
7 mins: A strong carry from Wakeham from the restart. Fiji take it to the edge of their own territory before they kick. The chase is a good one and the mop up the Aussie counter before it gets going. In fact, Fiji are tackling really well, driving the men in green back in the collision.
TRY! Australia 0-4 Fiji (Valemi, 4)
Sensational! What a start. That is exactly what Fiji needed if they had any hope of winning this one. Fiji drive the ball up and get within striking distance. The shape to go down the open side but it goes left to the blindside instead. Tedesco doesn’t read it and the stabbed kick behind the line by Moceidreke is perfectly mopped up by a diving Valemei who dots down. The conversion is missed. Still, the Aussies look shellshocked.
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2 mins: A decent start for Fiji who get their hands on the ball first. They take it to the half way line and then kick. Australia bring it back to the middle of the field but the phase ends with a Fijian penalty. Impressive tackling as well as from the men in white. They hoof the penalty 10m in to Aussie territory and get things going once again.
Right then. Here. We. GO!
Oh wow! I don’t know what this is called (please someone let me know) but rather than a war dance, the Fijians are standing in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, their eyes are closed, and they’re singing. It’s so moving. Beautiful. It sounds like a hymn but unmistakably from the South Pacific. “Hallelujah” they sing. If they play as well as they hold a note they’re steamroll the Kangaroos.
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Not long to go now. Fiji not given much hope by the Beeb pundits. Their head coach Joe Rabele has been hospitalised with illness and there have been some later injury blows. Could be a long, cold night for the Fijians.
The teams are coming out the tunnel. The Anthems are underway. Not long to go now.
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Reckon he can do it tonight? Either way, that record will fall over the next five weeks. No doubt about that.
🥇 Valentine Holmes starts for Australia tonight, with another record within his sights.
— Rugby League World Cup 2021 (@RLWC2021) October 15, 2022
The winger could become Rugby League World Cup's top ever tryscorer if he can score five more tries – he grabbed six the last time he played against Fiji!#RLWC2021 | #AUSFIJ pic.twitter.com/ExAKYdUJNP
1, 078 days. That’s how long it’s been since the Kangaroos last played a competitive match. That’s partly why they’ve got 13 debutants today. It’s an astounding spell without any action. Could the be rusty?
There are Aussies all over the place in the World Cup. Victor Radley, born in Sydney, was awarded the player of the match award earlier today. France are steered by an Aussie, a man responsible for doing likewise at the Sydney is Roosters.
Nick Tedeschi chatted with Trent Robinson this week. Have a gander:
Did you catch the opening ceremony? It was a shambles. The PA system at St James’ Park had packed up. The folks dignitaries responsible for bringing the sizeable trophies onto the pitch were left looking a bit awkward and the Kaiser Chiefs were reduced to just one song.
But these things happen sometimes and it really isn’t the end of the world. Still, the tournament organisers have issued an apology. Fair play to ‘em.
Fiji hoping to cause an upset
It’s not going to happen. I mean, it really isn’t. Fiji were swatted aside 50-0 by England in a warm-up earlier this month. But hey, stranger things have happened. I’m sure of it.
Fiji: Sunia Turuva, Mitieli Vulikijapani, Kevin Naiqama, Semi Valemei, Maika Sivo, Siti Moceidreke, Brandon Wakeham, King Vuniyayawa, Apisai Koroisau, Tui Kamikamica, Viliame Kikau, Siua Wong, Lamar Manuel-Liolevave.
Interchanges: Penioni Tagituimua, Jowasa Drodrolagi, Ben Nakubuwai, Taniela Sadrugu, Netane Masima.
Australia name team for title defence
Captain James Tedesco has said that this World Cup will be his team’s “toughest test” yet. They’re expected to run out comfortable winners against Fiji and have named a formidable outfit to get things underway:
Australia: James Tedesco, Josh Addo-Carr, Latrell Mitchell, Valentine Holmes, Murray Taulagi, Cameron Munster, Daly Cherry-Evans, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Ben Hunt, Jake Trobojevic, Angus Crichton, Jeremiah Nanai, Cameron Murray.
Interchanges: Harry Grant, Reuben Cotter, Patrick Carrigan, Jack Wighton, Matt Burton.
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Did you catch England’s demolition of Samoa earlier? Worth revisiting if you did. The hosts were imperious. Just so, so good.
Here’s Aaron Bower’s report from Newcastle:
Who knew the biggest bugbear would be found on the players’ back? Don’t believe me, go ask the Kangaroos legend Steve Renouf, who wore the No 3 jersey 30 years ago when Australia beat Great Britain in the final in Brisbane, said he was “shattered” (yes, really) that the players would wear squad numbers, rather than the numbers that directly correlated to the match-day starting positions.
“Imagine starting in the team and getting 24. People would always think you were a reserve,” he told AAP this week.
Seems a bit overblown to me. Tell me, what am I missing here?
It’s not just Renouf. Even Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga is upset. Wonder if he’ll actually care once the opening whistle sounds.
Preamble
It’s been billed as the most competitive Rugby World Cup in living memory. England are resurgent. New Zealand are a force on the rise. Tonga have shown they can mix it with the big boys and Samoa, despite the events of a few hours ago, have enough stars to cause an upset along the way.
The Kangaroos, the defending champions, will be eager to squash all that talk and underline their status as the most successful rugby league team in the world.
They’re without some players who might have been with them but they’re still the side to beat.
Fiji won’t be a pushover, physically at least, and should provide a stern test of Mal Meninga’s charges.
My name is Daniel and it’d be great if you dropped me an email or shot me a tweet.
Kick off is at 7:30pm local time.
