In a fiery encounter at Sydney Football Stadium, Australia secured a resounding 44-12 victory over Samoa to book their place in a 16th consecutive men's Rugby League World Cup final. The match, played on Saturday, was a rematch of the 2022 final and lived up to its billing, though the scoreline flattered the hosts after a spirited start from Samoa.
Pre-match confrontation sets the tone
Before kick-off, Samoa's traditional Siva Tau war dance turned into an intense face-off, with players going forehead to forehead with their Australian opponents. It was the closest Samoa would get to Australia all evening.
Samoa took an early lead through a Stephen Crichton penalty after three minutes, but Australia responded swiftly. Tom Dearden burst through from a scrum to score, and further tries from Jacob Preston and Tom Trbojevic, his eighth of the tournament, put Australia in control. Reece Walsh, who celebrated his first try with a spectacular backflip, and Bradman Best also crossed before half-time.
Controversy and frustration
Samoa's passion boiled over into frustration as the game slipped away, not helped by some contentious refereeing decisions. The most debated moment came on the half-hour when Crichton appeared to have grounded the ball to close the gap to 16-6, but a slow-motion replay ruled a knock-on by Francis Manuleleua. Spencer Leniu was sin-binned just before the break for dissent, summing up Samoa's growing ire.
Despite second-half tries from Crichton and Isack Tago, Australia always had an answer, with Walsh completing his first international hat-trick. Bostock added a late try to put the gloss on the scoreline.
What's next?
Australia will face New Zealand in the final at Brisbane on Sunday, with kick-off at 08:35 GMT. The Kangaroos, winners of the last three world titles, will be heavy favourites, but the Kiwis will be determined to upset the odds.
For Samoa, it was a case of what might have been. Their discipline let them down, and they will look back at key moments that went against them. However, their performance in reaching the semi-finals again shows the growing strength of Pacific Island rugby league.
