Australia v Scotland RLWC2021

Australia have smashed Scotland 84-0 in Coventry, running in 15 tries in a one-sided World Cup clash.

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga rang the changes before the game, handing debuts to Matt Burton, Campbell Graham, Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo and Lindsay Collins.

Cleary starred in the west Midlands, scoring a try and kicking 12 goals to finish with a personal haul of 28 points.

Fellow debutant Graham grabbed a hat-trick and winger Josh Addo-Carr finished with four tries in the massive, dominant victory.

Australia raced to a 40-0 lead at half-time, with Addo-Carr starting the scoring at the wet Coventry Building Society Arena after just five minutes.

The Kangaroos went ahead 8-0 six minutes later, thanks to Jack Wighton, before Angus Crichton scored the green and gold’s third try.

In the 20th minute it was Graham who barged over for Australia’s fourth try, then further four-pointers came to Addo-Carr and Wighton before half-time.

In the second the tries continued to flow, as Scotland struggled to handle with Australia’s superior pace, skill and execution.

In the second half it took just 55 seconds for James Tedesco to cross.

Ben Hunt was the next to get on the scoreboard, thanks to a lovely ball from Cameron Munster, before Addo-Carr brought up his hat-trick.

It got worse for the Bravehearts when Kane Linnett was sin-binned for tackling Tedesco off the ball, and they continued to concede more tries.

Burton crossed the line, as did Yeo, before Addo-Carr touched down again and Graham added two more tries to his haul before full-time.

It was complete carnage in a wet and sodden Coventry.

Australia next face Italy in St Helens, while Scotland take on Fiji in Newcastle.

Australia 84

Tries: J. Addo-Carr (6), J. Wighton (11), A. Crichton (15), C. Graham (21), N. Cleary (28), J. Addo-Carr (32), J. Wighton (35), J. Tedesco (41), B. Hunt (44), J. Addo-Carr (49), C. Graham (59), M. Burton (66), C. Graham (74), I. Yeo (77), J. Addo-Carr (79)

Goals: N. Cleary (12), N. Cleary (16), N. Cleary (23), N. Cleary (30), N. Cleary (34), N. Cleary (36), N. Cleary (43), N. Cleary (45), N. Cleary (50), N. Cleary (67), N. Cleary (75), N. Cleary (78)

Scotland 0

Tries: 0

Goals: 0


John is a freelance journalist who has been writing about rugby league for the past decade. He covered the 2013 and 2017 World Cups, has appeared on TV and radio, and been published in The I-Paper, The Guardian, The Sun, The Mirror, League Express, Inside Sport magazine and Big League. He writes regularly for Forty-20 magazine, League Weekly and co-hosts the podcasts By the Balls and Six To Go.