Walsh’s hat-trick helps Australia past Samoa and into World Cup final

Reece Walsh scored a hat-trick as Australia beat Samoa 44-12 in Sydney to reach the men’s Rugby League World Cup final, but his performance also featured errors that helped keep the semi-final tense.

The Kangaroos will face New Zealand in Brisbane next Sunday, with full-back Walsh set for another contest against Kalyn Ponga. Australia have won 22 consecutive World Cup matches and are seeking a fourth successive title.

Walsh’s first try showcased his footwork: he broke through a narrow gap in Samoa’s defence in the first half, then celebrated with a backflip. Australia coach Kevin Walters said Walsh had done it at the request of sick children who had asked him to flip if he scored. Walters had warned at half-time that there would be no more backflips, and Walsh held back in the second half.

The risks were more than theatrical. Samoa’s Francis Manuleleua beat Walsh to a high ball shortly before the first try, and Stephen Crichton appeared to score from the resulting passage, but the try was ruled out after a replay suggested a knock-on. Crichton did score after Walsh dropped a high ball in the second half. Samoa also had a late try by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow disallowed after officials judged there had been illegal contact.

Walsh responded to Samoa’s two second-half scores with tries of his own, completing his first international hat-trick. Walters said Walsh’s high-ball catching was difficult but added: “It’s not really anything we’ve got too much concern with.” He had earlier described the backflip as “just Reece”, saying the full-back “always brings up something you don’t expect”.

The win keeps Australia unbeaten in the tournament, with 170 points scored across four matches. Their next opponents, New Zealand, beat Tonga in Saturday’s semi-final. Ponga returned for that match after playing on with a broken arm for about 20 minutes in the sides’ opening game, which Australia won 24-22. Walsh’s decisive contribution in that opener came despite an eight-week absence before the tournament because of an ankle injury.

Samoa coach Ben Gardiner said his side had been frustrated by the decisions. Asked about them, he replied: “You guys saw the game. You report on it.” He also said Samoa had missed too many tackles and had not reacted well to penalties, while praising his players’ second-half fightback.