I know it is a bit of a feat to score 5 tries, but my nan could have scored these!

It's as one sided as when Rovers got drubbed at Wembley the other year.
Mind you, at least Fiji have managed some token points on the board.

Convincing!

Disappointing but not unexpected. Fiji tried hard but the Aussies are a different class.

Does underline just how badly the Kiwis underperformed last week.

Amazed Kidwell is still in a job.

Bulls here he comes.

A lot of talk at the moment of the big three becoming a big 5 or something, think it is more like becoming a big 1 with australia and best of the rest if the new zealanders have an off day. I dont think anyone is beating the aussies for a long time now.

As we Castleford supporters know, form can completely go out of the window in an one-off game.
Australia might look far and away the best team in the games before the final, but if they have an off-day anything can happen.
I’d say it would be the biggest shock since Sheffield won the Challenge Cup, but I’d never write any team off in a winner-takes-all game.

Who replaces Cronk, Slater and Smith for Australia - that has to be the worry for them, when they retire from rep footy

And if they had played tomorrow, you would be whining that they got an extra day to recover (after playing in the Darwin heat and humidity).
Let's face it, whatever happens you'll blame the Aussies.

Would have been too cruel to make your blokes play in the Top End though. 30 degrees C and 80% humidity; heat strokes left, right and centre.

Exceptional effort by Holmes.
Yes he was on the end of a pretty good backline, but there have been plenty of bigger name players in teams as good or better who have not done as well.
6 in a game is pretty special at any level, and 11 in 2 games is phenomenal.

Agree with this.

Could have been a draw if the clown on Fiji's right wing didn't go on the pitch. Has there ever been such a poor display by an individual in a test?

Moses looked quality for Lebanon. No idea what he's like at club level but it wouldn't surprise me to see him as half back in the future.

Absolutely. They are the huge difference between the Aussies being a good team and an almost unbeatable one with them in it.

I don't think its any coincidence that Queensland have won almost every SOO and we have not beaten the Aussies over the last decade.

I know they have always coped replacing great players in the past but there is a pretty big gulf between the quality of those 3/4 if we are including thurston as well and their next in line, particularly in the halves and at hooker.

He definitely made Australia's job easier.

Never ceases to amaze me seeing top level wingers (and centres) flying out the defensive line. It almost never works and inevitably leaves a channel for the attackers to develop and usually score.

Australia were good but not amazing. Fiji went away from what worked previously and turned into the stereotypical island team - big, strong and passionate, but indisciplined, prone to error and defensively fragmented, handing Australia far too much territory and possession.

All in all - even though a Fiji win was always unlikely - that was a hugely disappointing game.

If england do get there next week i cant see them getting within 20.

If we do not get within 20 I will want the full aussie team drug tested

14 world cup finals what are they Machines like the sky advert

They just have far greater numbers playing the game at all levels, its that simple.

Is it that simple though? I mean, it's certainly not that simple when you look at other sports. England has a lot more people playing football than Iceland does, but that didn't stop us losing to them at the last Euros. And I'm sure that New Zealand doesn't have more people playing RU than every other country, but that doesn't stop them from being the best. Yes, population size and the number of people playing the game are definite factors, but I don't think that's the only reason. Unless RL is somehow different to other sports in that regard.

Maybe the NRL and Origin are better preparing the Australian players for the big games, I dunno.

Or maybe the best athletes and most talented sportsmen in England are choosing to play other sports instead of RL.

I think football is a sport where the underdog can have its day more often owing to the limited physical nature and the size of the 'scoring zone'. Also of the players playing in the premier league only about 30% are English (the england squad is picked from approx only 70 players). RL numbers in england are almost half that of Aus and im sure the gaps participation are much more close in RU. Maybe i was remiss in saying its that simple, as RL in england is so poorly run and could without doubt reduce the gap.

We thought that about Fitler, Lockyer and Johns, England have to try improve rather than wait for great players to retire

Morgan can play 6 or 7 so he could be partnered with Milford, Reynolds, Cherry-Evens, Pearce, Hunt, Moses or even one of the younger guys like Taylor or Cleary.
The fullback will likely be Tedesco for a long time and Friend or Peats could do a great job at hooker.

The RFU has more registered players than all of the other Unions around the world combined...well they did in 2011.


I'd say it's a cultural thing as well as coaching. The Aussies just don't do "plucky losers"....neither do the Kiwis whilst the Brits are always happy to say "well played"..."hard luck" etc.
Touch rugby is absolutely huge here in NZ....some of the teenagers in our social comp have insane skills and play both codes, with Union at School and League at Club level.....I'd say that the RFL need to get all over the touch rugby scene in the heartlands.

I'm a bit doubtful about that England RU figure mind. Unless it includes people like me playing RUWC on the playstation.