World Cup Report: Australia 64-0 Fiji
Australia set up a World Cup final re-match against New Zealand with a comprehensive 64-0 victory over Fiji at Wembley.
The Kangaroos, beaten by the Kiwis on home soil five years ago, will now bid to regain the title of world champions at Old Trafford next Saturday.
After the drama of England‘s agonising defeat to New Zealand in the first of the day’s double header, a subdued Wembley watched on as Australia flicked through the gears at ease, scoring 11 tries, including a hat-trick for Jarryd Hayne, to beat the Fijians for a second time in this tournament.
It took nine minutes for Australia to break the Bati defence, when Johnathan Thurston‘s dummy created a huge gap, and he waltzed through to touch down.
His sharp pass to Greg Bird helped create the second try, with the big second-rower holding off three defenders to offload to Greg Inglis, who then sent Darius Boyd over in the corner for the first of his two tries.
They took to the air for the third try, with Cooper Cronk‘s cross-field kick proving too hot to handle for Newcastle Knights wing Akuila Uate, and after he had knocked it down, Hayne passed inside for Cronk to score.
Hayne, who played for Fiji at the last World Cup, then got a try of his own, forcing his way over under the attention of a couple of defenders for 22-0 after 24 minutes.
The half hour mark passed, meaning Australia had now gone 300 minutes since they last conceded a try, and they continued to rack up the points at the other end.
After Cameron Smith was held up over the line, Josh Papalii ploughed over under the sticks on a fine angled run and Hayne’s second made it 34-0 at the break.
It took until 16 minutes after half time for Australia‘s seventh try, as prop James Tamou bulldozed through a few tacklers and reached out to plonk the ball down.
Man of the match Thurston then started a flowing move, releasing Brent Tate down the left, and he found Boyd to finish a blistering move on the left.
Fiji‘s day got worse when their former star Hayne grabbed his hat-trick, and he then broke down the right to feed Brett Morris, who just about finished in the corner, despite his foot hitting the corner flag as he grounded the ball.
And Andrew Fifita rounded it off, powering through and going in under the sticks after taking Smith’s pop up pass.
Australia have now gone more than four games without conceding a point, and have racked up 238 points in their five games at the tournament, conceding just 22.
Photo courtesy of swpix.com
Australia: Inglis, B Morris, Tate, Hayne, Boyd, Thurston, Cronk, Scott, Smith, Tamou, Bird, Thaiday, Gallen. Interchanges: Cherry-Evans, Papalii, Fifita, Parker.
Scorers: Tries – Thurston (9), Boyd (16, 59), Cronk (19), Hayne (23, 39, 67), Papalii (35), Tamou (55), Morris (74), Fifita (79). Goals – Thurston 10/11
Fiji: K Naiqama, Koroibete, Waqa, W Naiqama, Uate, D Millard, Groom, A Sims, Storer, Civoniceva, T Sims, Bukuya, Vunakece. Interchanges: Koroisau, Roqica, Evans, Radradra.
Half time: 34-0
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 67,545