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Valentine Holmes scores five tries as Australia trounce Samoa in Rugby League World Cup
History was made in Darwin on four separate accounts as Australia continued their perfect 2017 World Cup record, carrying out an outstanding 46-0 Darwin demolition job on Samoa to secure their passage to the semi-finals.
For the first Test match held in the Northern Territory capital, Kangaroos skipper Cameron Smith equaled Bob Fulton’s record for the most World Cup appearances with 15, Billy Slater joined Jarryd Hayne as the greatest try-scorer in tournament history with 14, and most memorably Valentine Holmes grabbed a phenomenal five tries. No other Australian player in history had crossed five times in a Test match before.
In the hot and humid conditions of the north, the power and punch of the Polynesians was largely nullified. Australia, hardly getting out of first gear, easily outmatched an underwhelming Samoa who have been one of the big disappointments of this World Cup.
Exiting with three defeats and just one draw, Samoa have floundered badly while neighbours Tonga are now challenging the “big three” of the sport. There would be no Hamilton horror show for the hosts, no seminal upset like Tonga produced against New Zealand.
This contest went entirely to script as Friday night belonged to the clinical Kangaroos and their eight tries. Holmes finished with five and Michael Morgan a double in a match that was more like a physical training run than a tough quarter-final for the green and gold. Building a 30-0 lead at half-time, Australia practically neutered the Samoans after only 40 minutes. Matt Parish’s men had a completion rate of just 47% in the first period – virtual suicide compared with the ruthless execution of the Kangaroos.
The carnage started in the ninth minute when Holmes got his first. Cooper Cronk hoisted a bomb up near the Samoan line and Josh Dugan leapt, tapping the ball back perfectly into Holmes’ path. Eight minutes later the Cronulla flyer was in again, making a break near in his own try-line and then finding Cronk in support, and getting the return pass, to dash 80 metres away to score.
It was Slater’s chance next to strike, the five-eighth benefitting from a timely offload from Matt Gillett to match Hayne’s record. Then Morgan stepped into prominence, first dancing and dummying through some feeble defence to touch down. Soon after he had his brace when Smith had the insight to banana kick in behind for the primed Cowboys playmaker to pounce. On this display Morgan will keep the No6 jersey for next weekend.
Five tries behind, and with Smith peerless with the boot, Samoa were put to bed at the break. In the second half their errors continued to mount and eight minutes in they finally received their first penalty of the match. The Samoans did build some pressure on Australia’s line but the Kangaroos defence, which has conceded just two tries this entire tournament, was on song to stop them dead.
In the 51st minute the scoring started up again after Tyson Frizell was held up over the line. On the next play the ball was spun wide and Holmes had his hat-trick. Soon after his fourth arrived in simple circumstances as a Slater offload saw Morgan break through and find Cronk who then fed his fellow Queenslander. Holme’s record-breaking fifth came in the final six minutes, when he brilliantly stepped past some tired defenders to touch down.
Before the match Australia coach Mal Meninga revealed the thought of losing – so far the Kangaroos have never lost a game under him – was always on his mind. Slater admitted the world champions might never suffer a Tonga-style upset, when a tier-two country beats a tier-one team. On Friday night’s evidence, and with both England and New Zealand already faulting in this tournament, Slater’s belief might be spot on.
When Australia is in this mood, and with a defence that gives their opposition absolutely nothing, they are unbeatable. The visible signs of rust, evident early in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, evaporated in the warm Darwin night. The scary thing is the Kangaroos are just getting warmed up.
