RLWC 2017 Men's Quarter-Finals & Women's Round 2 Wrap

RLWC 2017 Men's Quarter-Finals & Women's Round 2 Wrap

Fiji and Tonga have broken the dominance of international rugby league’s ‘big three’ by qualifying for the Rugby League World Cup 2017 semi-finals via upset victories over 2008 trophy holders New Zealand.

A week after Tonga demoted the Kiwis to second place on the Pool B ladder with a 28-22 victory, Fiji knocked the New Zealanders out of the competition with a 4-2 try-less victory which was far more exciting than the score-line suggests.

It is the third successive time Fiji has made the World Cup semi-finals, and they again take on the all-conquering Kangaroos as they did before more than 65,000 at Wembley Stadium in 2013 and in 2008 at Sydney Football Stadium.
Prop Ashton Sims and winger Akuila Uate are set to become the only two players to represent Fiji on all three semi-final occasions.

Tonga were the first Pacific nation into the semi-finals, courtesy of an enthralling 24-22 victory over Lebanon who began their tournament ranked 18 in the world but depart with huge admiration and hope for the future after a 29-18 win against France, a 29-10 loss to England, 34-0 loss to Australia and the two-point defeat to giant-killers Tonga.

The quarter-finals were launched with Australia disposed of the tournament disappointments Samoa 46-0, before a sell-out crowd of over 13,000 in Darwin final in the first Test match played in the Northern Territory, to move one step closer to their 13th successive World Cup.

And they first weekend of the finals were completed with yet another entertaining clash in Melbourne, won 36-6 by England over Papua New Guinea.

RLWC2017 has provided the following rights free match reports from the weekend's round:

Valentine Holmes scores five in historic NT clash

Kangaroos winger Valentine Holmes helped himself to five tries, and Billy Slater two, in Australia’s outstanding performance in tough tropical conditions in Darwin’s first international game. The Roos ran out 46-0 winners against a Samoan side that departed the tournament winless.

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Fiji shock Kiwis in Wellington

The free-flowing Fijians may not have scored a try, but their pride and emotion took them to victory over New Zealand in Wellington, 4-2. It means the Kiwis will not play in a World Cup final for the first time since 1995.

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Tongans forced to work hard to continue roll

Tonga may have recorded their fourth successive victory in this tournament but the result was much closer than many predicted in their 24-22 win against Lebanon. Each team scored four tries (three each converted) before the game was ultimately decided by a penalty goal from Tongan halfback Ata Hingano.

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Captain-less Kumuls no match for patchy England

PNG’s chances of an upset against England were ruined after losing captain David Mead in the opening minutes. Completion rates of both sides was poor, however England showed some genuine flair in their seven-tries-to-one victory.

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Semi-finals draw:

Friday, 24 November: Australia v Fiji, Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane, 7pm EAST (8pm EADT)
Saturday, 25 November: Tonga v England, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, 6pm NZDT (4pm AEDT)

In the women’s round two matches:

Australia continued their dominance with a 38-0 victory over England, following the 58-4 win against Cook Islands in the opening round.

Match report

New Zealand have thrown down the challenge however with a 76-0 win against the Cooks, after opening the tournament with a 50-4 victory against Canada.

Match report

Canada have earned their first points of the tournament with a 22-8 victory over PNG in the final match of today’s triple-header.

Match report

Women's round 3 draw:

Wednesday, 22 November, Southern Cross Group Stadium: England v Cook Island, 12.45pm; Canada v Australia, 3pm; New Zealand v PNG, 5.30pm

ENDS

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