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Thanks for joining this morning.
The Kangaroos outclassed Fiji but know there’s plenty of improvement in the tank with tougher matches to come in the tournament.
Dan Walsh is our man on the ground in the UK and will bring you all the latest news from Kangaroos camp. Keep an eye on his work over the coming weeks.
It’s been a pleasure, as always. See you next time, cheers.
The Australian team before their match against Fiji.Credit: Getty
Australia have a six-day break before taking on Scotland in Coventry. Coach Mal Meninga has already said he’ll inject a number of Penrith players - including halfback Nathan Cleary - into the next match after giving them an extra rest following their grand final heroics.
New Zealand’s match against Lebanon tomorrow will be interesting viewing. The Kiwis are going to give the tournament a real shake, while Lebanon are coached by former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika, who is also juggling another role as Argentina’s rugby coach.
Scotland vs Italy (2.30pm local, 12.30am AEDT Monday)
Jamaica vs Ireland (5pm local, 3am AEDT Monday)
New Zealand vs Lebanon (7.30pm local, 5.30am AEDT Monday)
France vs Greece (7.30pm local, 5.30am AEDT Tuesday)
Tonga vs Papua New Guinea (7.30pm local, 5.30am AEDT Wednesday)
Wales vs Cook Islands (7.30pm local, 5.30am AEDT Thursday)
Australia vs Scotland (7.30pm local, 5.30am AEDT Saturday)
Fiji’s players sing a prayer before the start of their Rugby League World Cup match against Australia.Credit: AP
Samoa’s near-record 60-6 World Cup capitulation to England has been compounded by three potentially serious tournament-ending injuries, including a dislocated hip that sent former Panther Tyrone May to hospital.
The biggest game in Samoan rugby league’s history turned into a real-life horror show for the island nation, as England ran riot with Victor Radley playing a pivotal role in the 10-try annihilation.
Samoa’s spine-tingling pre-game Siva Tau war dance proved their most threatening offering of the afternoon, with the 54-point loss only just falling short of their heaviest ever defeat in the international arena – a 60-6 thumping from Australia in 2000.
Parish’s pre-game insistence that Samoa’s six NRL grand finalists and a six-day preparation could see them underdone for the tournament proved painfully accurate.
They now find themselves on a quarter-final collision course with Pacific rivals Tonga with intense scrutiny in store given the quality of Samoa’s squad.
Fair old game from Angus Crichton.
The Roosters forward played all 80 minutes against Fiji. Crichton made more metres (197) and more tackles (32) than any player on the field, from both sides.
Well, aside from Cam Murray, who also made 32 tackles.
Crichton scored a try, had 20 hit-ups, to go with six tackle breaks. There were a couple of errors in there, however.
Is Cam Munster a little fortunate to have been awarded man-of-the-man?
For 15 minutes Fiji more than held their own - the Bati held Australia to ransom.
For the rest of it, the Kangaroos slowly but surely shook off the rust of a 1079-day international hiatus, as Josh Addo-Carr’s brilliance and a team list oozing class secured a 42-8 win to open Australia’s World Cup defence.
With 14 errors, this wasn’t a statement in the same manner as England’s 60-6 demolition of Samoa hours earlier - not that it needed to be, either.
And with a host of positions in Mal Meninga’s first-choice 17 up for grabs, Daly Cherry-Evans had his moments both fine and frustrating, Cameron Munster was man-of-the-match while Harry Grant’s bench cameo was arguably the brightest of the green-and-gold performances.
READ THE FULL MATCH REPORT FROM DAN WALSH HERE
James Tedesco is put under pressure by King Vuniyayawa during the Rugby League World Cup match between Australia and Fiji.Credit: Getty Images
The Kangaroos have begun their World Cup campaign in clinical fashion with a 42-8 victory over Fiji in Leeds.
Fiji crossed first in the third minute to send a scare through the Australian camp before the Kangaroos piled on seven unanswered tries.
The reigning champions appear to have got through the match without any major injury scares, which is good news before their next match against Scotland on Friday (Saturday morning in Australia).
Cameron Munster was named man of the match.
Australian try scorers: Jeremiah Nanai (15th min), Josh Addo-Carr (23rd min), Angus Crichton (34th min), Latrell Mitchell (43rd min), Harry Grant (53rd min), James Tedesco (60th min), Josh Addo-Carr (67th min).
Latrell Mitchell scores one of Australia’s seven tries. Credit: Getty
Sunia Turuva snares Fiji’s second try to give his side some confidence before their next match.
Just as Australia look to pick up a Fijian grubber, Turuva toes it forward and does the rest.
Australia 42, Fiji 8 after 77 minutes
This is a class above from the Kangaroos.
Harry Grant has had a fantastic game. He breaks a tackle, finds himself in space before putting in a grubber that Josh Addo-Carr finishes off.
Big tick. Hardly a bad Australian player on the field. Crichton, Tedesco, Addo-Carr have all been outstanding.
Australia 42, Fiji 4 after 69 minutes