Australia reached their 16th consecutive Rugby League World Cup final with a 44-12 demolition of Samoa in Sydney. Reece Walsh starred with a first international hat-trick, scoring three of the Kangaroos' eight tries before 40,000 fans.
The full-back's brilliance was matched by controversy. After his opening try, Walsh celebrated with a backflip — losing a boot and prompting coach Kevin Walters to ban second-half acrobatics. Walters later defended the gesture: Walsh performed it for sick children who requested the celebration.
Errors accompanied the magic. Walsh was beaten to a high ball early on, and dropped a bomb leading to Samoa's second-half try. Walters acknowledged the risk: "That's Reece... catching the high ball is difficult." The selection over NRL Grand Final star James Tedesco remains a talking point.
Australia extend their World Cup winning streak to 22 matches since 2008. Next, they face New Zealand in Brisbane, where Kalyn Ponga — who played 20 minutes with a broken arm in the opener — awaits after a man-of-the-match semi-final display against Tonga.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing