Here’s what you might have missed overnight at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England.
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The main takeaways
- The Kangaroos and Kiwis have one of the great rivalries in world sport and they added another chapter with a brilliant and brutal contest in Leeds.
- Australia head to Old Trafford for their 10th World Cup Final. They saluted in the 2000 decider at Manchester and again in 2013 so they head to the famous venue full of confidence.
- A tight offside call against Jordan Rapana on kick chase denied the Kiwis a try that would have put them ahead by eight points with 35 minutes to play.
- The tries by Josh Addo-Carr, Dylan Brown, Jahrome Hughes and Valentine Holmes were as good as any you'll see and are sure to feature on promo videos for France 2025.
- James Tedesco (236 metres and seven tackle breaks) and Joey Manu (272 metres and four tackle breaks) enhanced their reputations as two of the game's elite attacking weapons.
Always keep your eyes on the Foxx!
Star performers
Josh Addo-Carr continues to dazzle, equalling team-mate Valentine Holmes' record of 12 tries at a World Cup with an absolute classic in the opening half. 'The Foxx' went into overdrive as he chased a Ben Hunt cross field kick and caught the ball on the full to leave Kiwi winger Jordan Rapana what had just happened. In a physical forward battle there were plenty who stood tall with Liam Martin taking home player of the match honours, Isaah Yeo making plenty of metres and Nelson Asofa-Solomona leaving defenders in his wake on numerous occasions. Jahrome Hughes and Dylan Brown were superb in the halves for the Kiwis while Latrell Mitchell came up with some big defensive plays for Australia.
Pants ripped and a try scored
What the result means
The Kangaroos march on to Manchester to try and defend the title they won in 2017. Mal Meninga's men will watch with interest as host nation England face Samoa in the second semi-final in London on Sunday morning (AEDT) with most expecting Shaun Wane's team to progress. Kangaroos winger Valentine Holmes gets a chance to make history in the Final as he sits just try behind Billy Slater's record for most World Cup tries (15).
Recap
- Match report: Kangaroos into Cup Final after downing Kiwis in epic semi
- Key injuries: Ronaldo Mulitalo (knee)
Match Highlights: Australia v New Zealand