FULL TIME! A 20 point win for the Kangaroos! What a month for International Rugby League! Match report to come soon.
Somewhat fittingly for Australia, the tournament ends with a missed Cleary conversion attempt.
MITCHELL FINISHES IT! That's the game! That's the World Cup! A beautiful pass gives Mitchell space on the outside yet again.
We're back underway
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.
Crichton cleans up the Luai kick, and the Kangaroos have the ball
SIX AGAIN SAMOA! Australia played at a pass, and Samoa have a full attacking set
Mitchell tries to strip the ball, but he knocks it on. Samoa scrumfeed with four minutes on the clock
Samoa defuse the Australian attack, but they have to work it out of their own end
SIX AGAIN AUSTRALIA! Tedesco wins the set restart on the kick return
7 minutes on the clock, 16 points the difference. What can Samoa do in these dying stages?
Crichton hits the post attempting to convert his own try
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.
Cleary slots his third of the night. It's a 20 point gap
Tedesco has a double! Too good. Great inside ball from Cameron Munster opens up the Samoan defence
Samoa kick from inside their own 40 metres, good defence from Australia
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
Samoa look fired up here! They're on the attack
To'o with the intercept! Samoa start their set from the half-way line!
The Australian forwards look a little tired in a welcome sight for Samoa fans
From the right touchline, Crichton nails it! This game is not over yet
Brian To'o crosses for Samoa's first points of the game! Brilliant cut-out ball from Jarome Luai creates an overlap.
SIX AGAIN SAMOA! They have some field position to work with now
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.
VIDEO REFEREE! Klein has a no try for Australia on field
Josh Papali'i drops the ball in a strong tackle from Australia, and the Kangaroos have a scrumfeed inside the Samoan half
PENALTY SAMOA! Obstruction by Australia, and Samoa will start their set from their own 20 metre line
Angus Crichton is back on the field
HELD UP! Aussies almost go over
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
CLEARY KICKS IT! 20 points the gap
CLEARY! WHAT A BALL! Murray looks to have sealed the cup for Australia, albeit with half an hour still on the clock
STRIP MUNSTER! Munster comes up with the miracle strip once again, this one was on Leniu
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.
20m TAP AUSTRALIA! The Kangaroos hold on somehow. Milford looks to be playing at hooker for Samoa
Carrigan drops it cold. Samoa back on the attack!
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
Samoa on the attack off the back of that penalty
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.
Time still off here, CHT being cared for on the ground
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
Pretty even start to this second half - Australia's defence still aren't giving Samoa any free metres
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
PENALTY SAMOA! They'll start this set from inside the Aussie half. This is the first penalty I can remember so far this night
James Tedesco drops it in the tackle, and it's a Samoa scrumfeed on their own 20m line.
A terrible start to the second half for Samoa, Stephen Crichton puts the ball down and Australia will get an early opportunity
BACK UNDERWAY! Samoa with the ball, and they have a huge task ahead of them
HALF TIME! Australia hold a 14 point lead
Samoa just hang on, clunky in attack from Australia that set
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
HANDOVER! Australia get caught on the last by Samoa, inside Samoa's own 10 metres
Big kick return from Josh Addo-Carr takes it to the half-way on the first for the Kangaroos
The Australian defence is not giving Samoa anything
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
Junior Paulo is off the field for a HIA
This time from the right edge, Cleary misses it.
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.
VIDEO REFEREE! Klein has a try on-field for Liam Martin to extend Australia's lead
That's a huge chance gone begging for Samoa! Milford puts it down, Australia hang on
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
20m TAP SAMOA! A long kick from Munster is just a little too long, and it hits the corner post.
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
DROPOUT SAMOA! Cleary's kick looked too deep off the boot, but it sat up and Crichton had to knock it dead
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
Australia are just rolling through the middle this set
Cleary slots his first successful conversion of the night.
Josh Addo-Carr breaks through the Samoan defence, and he finds his fullback on the inside. Not good enough from Samoa there
Australia have some momentum now, they're starting this set on their own 40m line
Good set after points for Australia, Samoa are pinned in their corner
Cleary with the kicking duties, and it falls well short from the left touchline!
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 back inside the Samoan 20m zone
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.
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.
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
HANDOVER! Samoa put it through the hands on the last, 10 metres out from the Aussie line, but the Kangaroos defence held strong.
Samoa have the first proper attacking set of the night here
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
20m TAP AUSTRALIA! Some good last tackle footy from Samoa, but the second kick goes too deep. Samoa just on top early
Joseph Suaalii seems to have taken about a million runs already this game, he's everywhere
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
Set for set start, both teams just finding their rhythm
Luai puts one up high from the half-way line, but it's taken safely by Valentine Holmes
Intense start as expected. Cleary takes the first kick of the game, from inside his own half.
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: