Rugby League World Cup final: Australia men see off spirited Samoa

It was the Aussies’ third successive win and their 12th overall, from 16 times the title has been up for grabs.

With some of the NRL’s top stars opting to play under a different flag this year, some pundits felt Australia’s dominance was under threat, but only New Zealand, in the last-four, managed to give them a close game.

And coach Mal Meninga pledged the Kangaroos will be back to defend their crown in France in three years’ time.

“All these guys are going to be together for the next three, four, five, six years,” he warned. “It is only the beginning of this team, I can assure you.”

Samoa proved as the tournament went on they are made of stern stuff and they were far from disgraced, scoring two of the final four tries in front of 67,502.

They had brief spells when they were on top, but each of those was broken by an Aussie try and the Kangaroos were clearly the better team, though the score on the final play which made it 30-10 was harsh on Samoa.

Australia second-rower Angus Crichton could have been sent-off six minutes into the second half when he elbowed Samoa hooker Chanel Harris-Tavita in the face.

Referee Ashley Klein took the easy option of sin-binning the Aussie and placing the incident on report, but Samoa lost their only hooker when Harris-Tavita went off for a head injury assessment and wasn’t able to return.

Samoa coach Matt Parish said he was “dumbfounded” by Klein’s “weak” decision. However, overall, the official had a good game - awarding only three penalties, all in the second half - and realistically,a sending-off wouldn’t have changed the result.

The Aussies increased their lead when down to 12 men and always looked like they had something in reserve.

Samoa made a positive start and the Kangaroos appeared rattled, as much by the hostile crowd as the ferocity of the Samoan tackling, but, typically, Australia scored from their first attack.

Josh Addo-Carr broke the deadlock after 13 minutes, getting past Brian To’o and shrugging off full-back Joe Suaali’i’s attempted tackle over the line.

Four later, Addo-Carr burst through the middle and eventual man of the match James Tedesco was in support to score a try which Nathan Cleary converted.

At 10-0, Samoa had to score next and they almost did. Addo-Carr got a hand to Stephen Crichton’s pass, preventing it reaching his winger To’o; then Harris-Tavita got over the Aussie line, but was held up.

Moments later, Liam Martin reached over at the other end, Klein indicated no try, but video assistant Chris Kendall awarded the score and, at 14-0 with half an hour played, the game was very nearly up.

All doubt was removed 12 minutes into the second period, while Australia were a man down. Samoa threw everything at them for a spell following the sin-binning, but Cameron Munster’s ball steal on Spencer Leniu took the pressure off and the Kangaroos scored in the resulting set, Cameron Murray going over from a fine pass by Clearly who added the second of his three goals.

Angus Crichton returned and almost immediately had a try ruled out by Klein and assistant Kendall, but Samoa got the reward their efforts deserved with a quarter of the game remaining.

Mitchell tried to intercept Jarome Luai’s and missed and that created an overlap for Jaydn Su’a to send in To’o, whose try was improved by Stephen Crichton.

Munster sent Tedesco in for his second, but Stephen Crichton intercepted from Ben Hunt to pull four points back, but Mitchell scored the final try of the tournament in the last moments.

“Defensively, we were outstanding and kept turning up for each other,” Meninga said. “That is the nature of this team – we scrambled really well when Samoa threw everything at us.”

Parish admitted: “The result is disappointing, but certainly not the effort or commitment. I couldn’t be prouder or happier with the group.

“We probably never got close enough to put enough pressure on them or take our chances like we should have.”

Australia: Tedesco, Holmes, Wighton, Mitchell, Addo-Carr, Munster, Cleary, Trbojevic, Hunt, Campbell-Gillard, Martin, Crichton, Yeo. Subs Grant, Kerrigan, Murray, Fa’asuamaleaui.

Samoa: Suaali’i, To’o, Crichton, Lafai, May, Luai, Milford, Hunt, Harrisd-Tavita, Paulo, Sao, Su’a, Kaufusi. Subs Tuilagi, Papali’i, Leniu, Taupa’u.

Referee: Ashley Klein (Australia).

Attendance: 67,502