Full Time
80:00
3:00am Sun November 20, 2022
Final - Old Trafford, Manchester - Crowd: 67502
80min

FULL TIME! A 20 point win for the Kangaroos! What a month for International Rugby League! Match report to come soon.

80min

Conversion: Australia
Attempted by Nathan Cleary.

Somewhat fittingly for Australia, the tournament ends with a missed Cleary conversion attempt.

Australia lead Australia 30 - 10 Samoa
80min

Try: Australia
Scored by Latrell Mitchell. Kick to come.

MITCHELL FINISHES IT! That's the game! That's the World Cup! A beautiful pass gives Mitchell space on the outside yet again.

Australia lead Australia 30 - 10 Samoa
79min

We're back underway

79min

Cleary kicks a 40/20 - but time is off for a streaker. 90 seconds on the clock for Australia to seek the cherry on top.

78min

Crichton cleans up the Luai kick, and the Kangaroos have the ball

77min

SIX AGAIN SAMOA! Australia played at a pass, and Samoa have a full attacking set

76min

Mitchell tries to strip the ball, but he knocks it on. Samoa scrumfeed with four minutes on the clock

75min

Samoa defuse the Australian attack, but they have to work it out of their own end

74min

SIX AGAIN AUSTRALIA! Tedesco wins the set restart on the kick return

73min

7 minutes on the clock, 16 points the difference. What can Samoa do in these dying stages?

72min

Conversion: Samoa
Attempted by Stephen Crichton.

Crichton hits the post attempting to convert his own try

Australia lead Australia 26 - 10 Samoa
71min

Try: Samoa
Scored by Stephen Crichton. Kick to come.

ANOTHER CRICHTON INTERCEPT! That came from nowhere. Samoa tried a short kick-off, but it was defused with ease by the Kangaroos. But a few plays later, Crichton plucked the Hunt pass out of the air, and streaked away to keep his team in it.

Australia lead Australia 26 - 10 Samoa
70min

Conversion: Australia
Kicked by Nathan Cleary.

Cleary slots his third of the night. It's a 20 point gap

Australia lead Australia 26 - 6 Samoa
69min

Try: Australia
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.

Tedesco has a double! Too good. Great inside ball from Cameron Munster opens up the Samoan defence

Australia lead Australia 24 - 6 Samoa
67min

Samoa kick from inside their own 40 metres, good defence from Australia

66min

HANDOVER! Poor pass from Luai hits the ground on the last, and Samoa get caught with it. That might just take the momentum out of the game for Samoa

65min

Samoa look fired up here! They're on the attack

65min

To'o with the intercept! Samoa start their set from the half-way line!

64min

The Australian forwards look a little tired in a welcome sight for Samoa fans

62min

Conversion: Samoa
Kicked by Stephen Crichton.

From the right touchline, Crichton nails it! This game is not over yet

Australia lead Australia 20 - 6 Samoa
61min

Try: Samoa
Scored by Brian To'o. Kick to come.

Brian To'o crosses for Samoa's first points of the game! Brilliant cut-out ball from Jarome Luai creates an overlap.

Australia lead Australia 20 - 4 Samoa
60min

SIX AGAIN SAMOA! They have some field position to work with now

59min

NO TRY AUSTRALIA! Josh Addo-Carr made a break down the left edge, and put in a kick for Angus Crichton back on the inside. Crichton drops the ball trying to ground it, and it's a 20m tap for Samoa.

59min

VIDEO REFEREE! Klein has a no try for Australia on field

58min

Josh Papali'i drops the ball in a strong tackle from Australia, and the Kangaroos have a scrumfeed inside the Samoan half

57min

PENALTY SAMOA! Obstruction by Australia, and Samoa will start their set from their own 20 metre line

57min

Angus Crichton is back on the field

56min

HELD UP! Aussies almost go over

56min

PENALTY AUSTRALIA! That's some dangerous contact on the kicker Cleary by Crichton, albeit unintentional. The Kangaroos are 10 metres out from the Samoan line, and they opt to take the tap

54min

Conversion: Australia
Kicked by Nathan Cleary.

CLEARY KICKS IT! 20 points the gap

Australia lead Australia 20 - 0 Samoa
53min

Try: Australia
Scored by Cameron Murray. Kick to come.

CLEARY! WHAT A BALL! Murray looks to have sealed the cup for Australia, albeit with half an hour still on the clock

Australia lead Australia 18 - 0 Samoa
52min

STRIP MUNSTER! Munster comes up with the miracle strip once again, this one was on Leniu

51min

Mitchell has dropped it in the play the ball! Australia have not been good at all in the past five or so minutes. Samoa will get another opportunity.

50min

20m TAP AUSTRALIA! The Kangaroos hold on somehow. Milford looks to be playing at hooker for Samoa

49min

Carrigan drops it cold. Samoa back on the attack!

49min

FORWARD PASS SAMOA! The crowd thought they were over in the corner for a second, but the last offload from Joseph Suaalii goes forward - Australia ball

48min

Samoa on the attack off the back of that penalty

47min

SIN BIN ANGUS CRICHTON! A big opportunity for Samoa now, but their dummy half is off the field and certainly out for the rest of the match.

47min

Time still off here, CHT being cared for on the ground

47min

Valentine Holmes drops the ball, but Chanel Harris-Tavita has been knocked out and is on the ground. Crichton has put out a forearm, even though the ball is dead. Trouble here

46min

Pretty even start to this second half - Australia's defence still aren't giving Samoa any free metres

45min

Good hands from Samoa, but Taylan May gets knocked into touch by Harry Grant - Kangaroos play the ball 10 metres out from their own line

44min

PENALTY SAMOA! They'll start this set from inside the Aussie half. This is the first penalty I can remember so far this night

43min

James Tedesco drops it in the tackle, and it's a Samoa scrumfeed on their own 20m line.

41min

A terrible start to the second half for Samoa, Stephen Crichton puts the ball down and Australia will get an early opportunity

41min

BACK UNDERWAY! Samoa with the ball, and they have a huge task ahead of them

40min

HALF TIME! Australia hold a 14 point lead

40min

Samoa just hang on, clunky in attack from Australia that set

39min

Brian To'o drops it cold getting up to play it. That's an odd one - Australia have the scrumfeed 25m out with two minutes on the clock

38min

HANDOVER! Australia get caught on the last by Samoa, inside Samoa's own 10 metres

37min

Big kick return from Josh Addo-Carr takes it to the half-way on the first for the Kangaroos

36min

The Australian defence is not giving Samoa anything

34min

Last tackle shift from Samoa almost worked, with Taylan May finding space on the left edge. But brilliant cover defence from Tedesco forces Luai into touch

33min

Junior Paulo is off the field for a HIA

31min

Conversion: Australia
Attempted by Nathan Cleary.

This time from the right edge, Cleary misses it.

Australia lead Australia 14 - 0 Samoa
31min

Try: Australia
Scored by Liam Martin. Kick to come.

TRY! Martin is ruled to have grounded it, and you get the feel that Samoa might've missed their chance to turn the game's momentum around.

Australia lead Australia 14 - 0 Samoa
31min

VIDEO REFEREE! Klein has a try on-field for Liam Martin to extend Australia's lead

30min

That's a huge chance gone begging for Samoa! Milford puts it down, Australia hang on

28min

BEAUTIFUL FOOTY! The Luai kick is claimed spectacularly by Joseph Suaalii, and Samoa have another set on the Australian line. It looked like Samoa were over, but Josh Addo-Carr saved the day with a knock down

26min

20m TAP SAMOA! A long kick from Munster is just a little too long, and it hits the corner post.

25min

Latrell Mitchell shows off his strength and claims that he scored a try, but Klein is on the spot and calls a knock on. Samoa scrumfeed on their own line

23min

DROPOUT SAMOA! Cleary's kick looked too deep off the boot, but it sat up and Crichton had to knock it dead

22min

Brian To'o drops the ball in spectacular fashion trying to defuse a kick. Australia with the scrumfeed 10 metres out from the Samoa line

21min

Australia are just rolling through the middle this set

19min

Conversion: Australia
Kicked by Nathan Cleary.

Cleary slots his first successful conversion of the night.

Australia lead Australia 10 - 0 Samoa
19min

Try: Australia
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.

Josh Addo-Carr breaks through the Samoan defence, and he finds his fullback on the inside. Not good enough from Samoa there

Australia lead Australia 8 - 0 Samoa
18min

Australia have some momentum now, they're starting this set on their own 40m line

17min

Good set after points for Australia, Samoa are pinned in their corner

16min

Conversion: Australia
Attempted by Nathan Cleary.

Cleary with the kicking duties, and it falls well short from the left touchline!

Australia lead Australia 4 - 0 Samoa
14min

Try: Australia
Scored by Latrell Mitchell. Kick to come.

Too good, too strong from Latrell Mitchell. A shortside last tackle play had nothing doing, but a defensive misread from Samoa allowed Mitchell some space to cross the tryline for the first points of the final

Australia lead Australia 4 - 0 Samoa
13min

Australia back inside the Samoan 20m zone

13min

DROPOUT SAMOA! First attacking set for the favourites, and they looked very dangerous. Luai got to the small kick first, and grounded it in the in-goal.

11min

20m TAP AUSTRALIA! It's taken quickly and Holmes streaks downfield into Samoa's half. The Kangaroos now with a full set inside the Samoan red zone.

10min

Big spiral bomb from Cleary won the ball back for the Aussies, but they end up turning it over back on the half-way line. Samoa winning the field position battle early on here

9min

HANDOVER! Samoa put it through the hands on the last, 10 metres out from the Aussie line, but the Kangaroos defence held strong.

8min

Samoa have the first proper attacking set of the night here

7min

FORWARD PASS AUSTRALIA! Klein called a six again for the Kangaroos, but Hunt threw a forward pass on the half-way line the next play. Samoa scrumfeed

6min

20m TAP AUSTRALIA! Some good last tackle footy from Samoa, but the second kick goes too deep. Samoa just on top early

5min

Joseph Suaalii seems to have taken about a million runs already this game, he's everywhere

4min

Early kick from Chanel Harris-Tavita out of dummy half turns the Kangaroos around, and almost gets over the touchline for a 40/20. Uh uh, that should've been a Samoa ball, it did indeed go over the touchline. Australia working it out of their half now regardless

3min

Set for set start, both teams just finding their rhythm

2min

Luai puts one up high from the half-way line, but it's taken safely by Valentine Holmes

2min

Intense start as expected. Cleary takes the first kick of the game, from inside his own half.

1min

HERE WE GO! Ashley Klein blows his whistle in the middle, and Australia get the first use of the ball.

Over the next 80 minutes, history will be made. Can Samoa win their first world cup, or will Australia continue their dominance on the world stage? This game has been five years in the making, and will round out a crazy month of rugby league in England. Kick-off at the iconic Manchester venue, Old Trafford, is not far away. Which stars will light up the pitch and win the biggest game in International rugby league for their country?

Referees & scorers:

Referee: Ashley Klein

Touch Judges: Jack Smith, Warren Turley

Video Referee: Chris Kendall

AUSTRALIA MEN (30)
Tries: Latrell Mitchell (2), James Tedesco (2), Liam Martin, Cameron Murray
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Nathan Cleary (3/6)
Penalty Goals:

SAMOA MEN (10)
Tries: Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Stephen Crichton (1/2)
Penalty Goals: