Rugby League World Cup: Quarterfinals Wrap

Eight has now become four after a phenomenal weekend of World Cup action. The pointy end of the tournament is now firmly within sight as sides prepare for an historic pair of semifinals. Here are how things unfolded in the quarterfinals:

Addo-Carr bags five as Kangaroos take care of Cedars

A five-try haul courtesy of Josh Addo-Carr has sent the Kangaroos flying towards a World Cup semifinal after finishing atop Lebanon 48-4 in Huddersfield.

Addo-Carr’s first came through a left-side shift five minutes in before he grabbed numbers two and three prior to the 20-minute mark to cap off a traditional hat-trick.

Latrell Mitchell monstered his opposite to fall over the line moments later before Cameron Murray snagged a pair of his own to give Australia a 30-0 halftime lead.

The second-half started in a similar manner to the first with Addo-Carr diving over in the left corner before Josh Mansour pounced on a Mitchell Moses grubber to get Lebanon on the board.

Addo-Carr reeled in a Cameron Munster kick for his fifth try and Liam Martin barged over late as the Kangaroos earnt their 16th World Cup win on the trot.

Addo-Carr’s five-try, 160-metre night earnt him a Player of the Match nod whilst Munster assisted on three tries and ran for 138 metres of his own.

Valentine Holmes was busy on the wing running for a game-high 244 metres and assisting on a pair of line breaks whilst Isaah Yeo ran for 189 metres from 18 carries and made 39 tackles without a miss.

Elie El-Zakhem put it in a shift for Lebanon running for a team-high 147 metres from 14 carries and making 37 tackles.

The Kangaroos will now face New Zealand – who they have not played since October 2019 – in a World Cup Final qualifier in Leeds.

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Makinson explodes as England send Papua New Guinea home

England are one step closer to a World Cup Final berth on home soil after defeating Papua New Guinea 46-6 in Wigan with winger Tommy Makinson becoming just the fourth player in England history to score 30 points in a match.

The first points of the contest came through Thomas Burgess who spun his way out of some meek Kumuls defence to crash over before Makinson reeled in a Sam Tomkins grubber to snag his first of the afternoon.

The English avalanche then hit full throttle as they crossed for five tries in just over 20 minutes to take a 38-0 lead into the break.

Makinson bagged tries four and five of the encounter in the second-half whilst Jimmy Ngutlik got the Kumuls on the board in the 69th minute.

The afternoon belonged to the English who have now outscored their opponents 242-28 across their four World Cup outings.

Makinson was named Player of the Match for his five tries, 119 run metres, and four tackle breaks whilst Burgess scored a try, ran for 131 metres, and broke 11 tackles and George Williams scored a try, assisted on two others, and ran for a game-high 150 metres.

Sylvester Namo worked himself to a standstill for Papua New Guinea running for 83 metres and making 33 tackles in 62 minutes in the front-row.

England will now face Sāmoa in a semifinal for the ages at Emirates Stadium in London.

Maguire’s Kiwis advance despite almighty Fijian scare

New Zealand managed to escape with a narrow 24-18 win over a brilliant Fiji Bati outfit in Hull to set up a date with destiny against the Kangaroos in Leeds.

Barnstorming winger Maika Sivo got Fiji on the board first in the 11th minute before skipper Kevin Naiqama burst through a hole to make it 12-0 shortly after.

A stunned Kiwis side hit back not long after through some slick hands off a scrum that saw Ronaldo Mulitalo dive over in the corner.

Fiji, however, stuck with it and were rewarded early in the second-half with Naiqama taking on a short-side out of acting half and sliding over for his second of the contest.

Briton Nikora shrugged off some feeble tackle attempts to bring the Kiwis back within a score before a Joseph Manu try tied things in the 63rd minute.

New Zealand hit the lead through a 70th-minute penalty goal off the back of an overturned knock-on call much to the dismay of the Fijians before Jordan Rapana sealed things with a last-minute four-pointer.

Manu was named Player of the Match thanks to his try, game-high 348 run metres, and 13 tackle breaks whilst Mulitalo scored a try, assisted on another, made four line breaks and ran for 252 metres.

Isaiah Papali’i added 141 run metres, four tackle breaks, and 23 tackle off the bench.

For Fiji, Sunia Turuva capped off an impressive tournament with a try assist, a team-high 193 run metres, and six tackle breaks whilst Tui Kamikamica led from the front with 176 run metres and 36 tackles.

Siua Wong also ensured his World Cup coming out party continued with 65 run metres and a game-high 51 tackles in 80 minutes on the edge.

Australia and New Zealand will face off in Leeds for a spot in a World Cup Final almost nine years on from their 2013 World Cup Final clash at Old Trafford.

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Sparks fly as Sāmoa upset Tonga, punch ticket to Emirates

Many have been desperate for the Tonga-Sāmoa rivalry to reignite and the nations delivered in stunning fashion in Warrington with the Sāmoans coming away with an upset 20-18 victory to book an opportunity for revenge against England.

Following a fierce clash involving Tonga’s Sipi Tau and Sāmoa’s Siva Tau, Jaydn Su’A found a gaping hole running off the hip of Anthony Milford and swerved past Will Hopoate for the encounter’s opening try.

A Hopoate cut-out hit Daniel Tupou on the chest as Tonga answered with their own four-pointer before Jarome Luai dashed his way to the try-line to put Sāmoa ahead by eight.

Veteran prop Siosiua Taukei’aho corralled a Soni Luke grubber to keep the Tongans within reach late in the first-half with Isaiya Katoa slotting a penalty goal in the 49th minute to tie things up at 12-apiece.

Sāmoa answered with a penalty goal of their own moments later to re-take the lead before a monumental Joseph Sua’ali’i break led to Brian To’o scooping up a cross-field Milford kick to stretch the lead to eight.

Keaon Koloamatangi defused a Luai grubber in the 71st minute and raced off with it before Moses Suli catapulted through the line on the following play to set up a Sione Katoa four-pointer and grandstand finish.

The Tongans were, however, unable to find match-winning points as Toa Sāmoa advanced to their first ever World Cup semifinal.

Milford – who assisted on three of Sāmoa’s four tries – was awarded Player of the Match whilst their back three of Sua’ali’i, To’o, and Taylan May combined for 627 run metres and 17 tackle breaks.

Skipper Junior Paulo ran for 192 metres and made 29 tackles whilst Josh Papali’i ran for 157 metres with six tackle breaks and made 27 tackles in 51 minutes off the bench.

Tongan captain Jason Taumalolo, meanwhile, ran for 184 metres from 19 carries with five tackle breaks and made 30 tackles whilst Suli assisted on a try, ran for 144 metres, and broke six tackles.

Sāmoa will have their eyes on advancing to the first World Cup Final in their history, however, a rematch against hosts England at Emirates Stadium in London stands in their way.

England embarrassed Sāmoa 60-6 in the World Cup opener and enter the game as favourites, however, the Sāmoans will be desperate to right the wrongs of that evening and bite off their own chunk of history.

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