What we learned from week three of the Rugby League World Cup

THE group stage is in the books and what a ride it was. As the World Cup kicks into high gear, we take a look at all the action from week three.

HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND — NOVEMBER 11: Tonga celebrate a try during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup match between the New Zealand Kiwis and Tonga at Waikato Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

THE group stage is over and what a ride it was.

Six teams depart the World Cup and the remaining eight gear up for the knockout stages, where every minute matters and to lose is to go home.

I believe it was Rocky IV, the definitive text of our time, that told us “there’s no easy way out, there’s no shortcut home, there’s no easy way out, giving in can’t be wrong” and that’s where we’re at from this point onwards.

As the tournament kicks into overdrive, here’s what we learned from the weekend’s matches.

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Fiji 38 def. Italy 10

Are Fiji the real deal? They’ve been in red-hot form throughout the group stages, outscoring their opposition by a combined total of 168 to 28. Suliasi Vunivalu has scored eight tries already. The Bati were below their best in this win but still managed to almost score 40 points.

The lack of quality competition makes it difficult to discern Fiji’s chances of pulling off an upset this weekend against New Zealand.

Fiji have been read hot thus far.

The athleticism of the Fijian backline makes them an extremely difficult opponent for the likes of Italy and Wales, but they’ll have no such joy against the Kiwis. Cutting the errors will be the key for the Bati, and they’ll need Jarryd Hayne and Henry Raiwalui to continue to steer the team around the park. Hayne has not been spectacular in this tournament but he’s guided the team well, as has the underrated Raiwalui.

Tonga 28 def. New Zealand 22

What more can be said? Tonga’s victory felt like the start of something and unless the Mate Ma’a go on to win the whole damn thing this match will take some beating as the signature moment of the tournament.

It’s not often that one game changes the whole game, but it certainly feels that way right now.

The Haka and the Siva Tau, the delirium of the fans, the sea of red in the stands, the thrilling action on the field, the colour and noise of the entire match, they’ll all become iconic Test rugby league moments. A new era has begun, and it belongs to the Kingdom of Tonga.

Tonga have changed the game.

Tonga totally exceeded the already high expectations. They have the best forward pack in the tournament and not just because of Jason Taumalolo. Sio Siua Taukeiaho was terrific and Ben Murdoch-Masila showed all the qualities that have made him a star in Super League. Overturning a 16-2 deficit is impressive against any opposition, let alone the second best team in the world. They’ll fancy their chances against England and with the way they’re playing the once impossible dream of taking the World Cup back to the Kingdom keeps feeling more real all the time.

It would be remiss of us to dismiss New Zealand’s performance as well. This was no smash-and-grab job, the Kiwis played extremely well for the most part. Each of their tries was either well constructed, well executed or dripping with individual brilliance. They will now need to climb their Everest in the semi-final, but they can do it. If the offloads stick and the forwards stay dominant, which they can do against any team not wearing Tongan red, they can beat anyone.

Samoa 14 drew with Scotland 14

Much has been written and said about the structure of the World Cup, which has resulted in Samoa progressing to the knockout stages without winning a game and Ireland crashing out despite two wins. The Irish had a wonderful tournament and many would pick them if they played Samoa tomorrow. As skipper Liam Finn pointed out after the match, their exclusion and the Samoan’s inclusion is difficult to explain to casual fans and certainly smacks of injustice.

However, as bizarre as the situation may be, the current tournament structure sill has its strengths.

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The function of the current set up is twofold. First, it keeps the big guns, like Australia, New Zealand and England, away from the battlers for as long as possible. Second, it creates the highest number of competitive matches between teams of a similar level. These twin ambitions were thrown in the air by the rise of Papua New Guinea, Fiji and especially Tonga. It’s easy to sail in and whinge about the structure of the group stages and Ireland getting dudded, but that same structure has given us some of the best matches of the tournament (like Tonga-New Zealand, Tonga-Samoa and England-Australia) with the promise of more compelling games to come.

Samoa are lucky to have made it through to the knockout stages.

Splitting the tournament into four pools of four, as some have suggested, works in theory but in practice would deprive the tournament of quality match-ups until the knockout stages and that’s a drought the World Cup simply cannot sustain. It can certainly be improved — seeding teams according to world rankings is an idea that needs to be abandoned, but super pools do exactly what they’re supposed to do.

Is Ireland a better team than Samoa? Maybe. They’ve certainly been more impressive and have a right to feel aggrieved. But the current set up of the pool system has more positive attributes than negative ones, and this quirk of the draw doesn’t change that.

Australia 34 def. Lebanon 0

Is Australia unbeatable? Given the constant upheaval of their roster it’s hard to say, and given they’ve won their three matches so far by a combined total of 104-10. They’re still the favourites to win this whole damn thing but there have been a few flashes of what you could call vulnerabilities.

Australia have been good but don’t look unbeatable.

For this week’s quarter-final against Samoa, Mal Meninga will likely call on a combination that resembles the 17 that took on England in the tournament opener. If Josh Dugan is recalled at left centre that’s an area that can be exploited. The middle forward pack is hardy, but New Zealand and Tonga will rate their chances of getting on top, as will England. The spine remains untouchable, but there are still questions over who will play five-eighth and what role they will take in the side.

Australia are still the Death Star, but there’s been enough glitches in the system to think that they can be challenged, if not beaten.

Papua New Guinea 64 def. USA 0

The Kumuls could give anyone 80 good minutes at home. They might not be able to beat Australia, New Zealand, England or Tonga, but those teams would leave Port Moresby battered and bruised. The rapturous crowds in PNG have been among the highlights of the tournament, they cheer a conversion from in front of the posts as wildly as they would a winning try.

Papua New Guinea have already taken great strides, scoring their biggest ever win and beating that record two weeks later. The final frontier for the Kumuls is playing away from home, something they have never done well. From 2000 to 2016 they didn’t win a match outside of Papua New Guinea. Taking on England in Melbourne is a world away from the heat and fire of Port Moresby, but this is the final step.

Performing away from home is the last step for the Kumuls.

The USA have endured a difficult tournament, copping heavy defeats in all three matches and going scoreless in their last two. Picking domestic players is a long-term investment, but in the moment it’s difficult to see the benefits of such heavy beatings. The conflict between the USARL and the AMNRL, which tore the game apart in the USA, is still a sore spot — many people who were formerly involved in the game in that country have been vocal and unrelenting in their criticism.

Ireland 34 def. Wales 6

Wales were better in this match but Ireland always seemed in control. The Wolfhounds were the most surprising team in the tournament, playing a tough, hard-nosed style that accentuated their excellent forward pack and Liam Finn’s stellar kicking game. It is a great shame they won’t be playing in the quarter-finals.

Ireland have been real surprise packets.

The international game always gets a boost around the World Cup and Ireland is a prime example of why such a boost shouldn’t be squandered. The Irish national side needs more games and serious inquiries need to be made about entering a Dublin team in the English lower divisions. If teams in Toronto and New York can get a start, why not Ireland?

The junior development of the Irish game is constantly hamstrung by lack of funds but they have a fine team on their hands at the moment and that has to be used.

England 36 def. France 6

Like Mal Meninga, Wayne Bennett is still tinkering with his line-up and he faces two big decisions that could decide England’s fate in this tournament. The first is simple, does he choose Josh Hodgson or James Roby at hooker? Bennett has shown a preference for NRL players whenever possible and Hodgson has a higher ceiling than Roby but the Canberra man is an extremely dominant hooker, to the point where it can be difficult for him to gel with his halves if there’s a lack of familiarity. Hodgson is the better player but Roby, a fine player in his own right, may be the better fit.

Will England find the right fit?

The second decision is more complex. Gareth Widdop is the best playmaker England have without a doubt and is dangerous at five-eighth or fullback. The sparkling attack the English showed in the opening half against France was due in large part to Widdop moving to the back — he linked well with Kevin Brown and Luke Gale, who went to the line with far more confidence. Johny Lomax is a solid and capable operator but given Bennett’s style of play, with its heavy emphasis on a ball-playing fullback, Widdop might be better suited to that position if England are to make a charge for the title. Such a move would create a third decision for Bennett, namely whether to go for Brown or Wigan’s George Williams as Gale’s halves partner.