Semi Final: Australia vs Fiji

[DIEHARD]

Australia vs Fiji

[DIEHARD]

Fiji is worthy of a Semi birth. I cant see them being as competitive against us as they were against England. Although perhaps this time they will cross the line.

[DIEHARD]

Sunday November 24
SEMI FINAL 2: Australia v Fiji
1am AEDT LIVE on 7mate | 2.30pm replay on 7mate

[DIEHARD]

Australia v Fiji
Wembley Stadium, London
Saturday 3.30pm (UK time)
Sunday 2.30am (AEDT), 12.30am (AEST)

Almost five years ago to the day, a young Jarryd Hayne shared the following: "We've had so much fun and the World Cup has been awesome for Fijian rugby league. In the end, lack of experience let us down."

That was in the bloody aftermath of Australia's 52-0 demolishment of Fiji in the corresponding semi-final of the last World Cup in 2008.

Half a decade on and not only has Hayne matured into one of the best 17 players in Australia, but eight of his former – now more experienced – teammates will be out to crush him.

It might not be of NRL standard, but that lack of experience Hayne spoke of is no more for Fiji.

Then-captain Wes Naiqama, together with Daryl Millard, Akuila Uate, Alipate Noilea, Aaron Groom, Ashton Sims, Jayson Bukuya and James Storer, will run out for their second straight semi-final appearance.

And four Kangaroos – Greg Inglis, Brent Tate, Johnathan Thurston, and Paul Gallen – will also look to qualify for back-to-back World Cup finals and help reclaim Australia's crown as world champions.

Remarkably, one player from either camp – Hayne and Fiji captain Petero Civoniceva – wore the other team's jersey all those years ago. Hayne, who was Parramatta's rising star at the time, turned his career around with a life-changing campaign with the Bati, while Civoniceva was arguably the world's premier front-rower and is now likely to play his final game of his career.

All in all, an extraordinary 14 players – 15 if you include injured fullback Billy Slater – will re-acquaint themselves, not for the first time, since the 2008 pummelling.

Both teams have endured vastly different paths in reaching the final four. The undefeated Kangaroos have amassed a total 174-22 point differential over their four games, while the Bati responded from back-to-back heavy defeats to Australia and England with a comprehensive 22-4 victory over Samoa in the quarter-final. For the tournament, Fiji have been outscored 86-68.

Watch Out Fiji: A lot of the pre-game talk has centred around Tim Sheens' toying of his backline, most pertinently around the absence of Slater. Sheens' first-choice fullback scored a hat-trick against Fiji in 2008 and has been the world's best fullback ever since, but with Greg Inglis now playing the custodian role the Australians look a far bigger team at the back.

Inglis's only World Cup game in the no. 1 jumper, coincidentally, was in the group match against the Fijians earlier in the tournament, where the Rabbitoh made a game-high 206 metres and eight tackle breaks. Another similar performance from the Souths star could sink Fiji.

Australia loses little in experience in the centres with Tate edging out Michael Jennings and Josh Morris to take Inglis's spot on the left, where he'll combine with long-time Queensland teammate Darius Boyd.

Watch Out Australia: The retiring Civoniceva might be the centre of attention on Saturday, but his front-row partner Ashton Sims has certainly been a man on a mission.

The firebrand prop doesn't accrue huge numbers – in four games he averages a respectable 75 metres and 24 tackles compared to Civoniceva's 119 metres and 29 tackles – but what he lacks in quantity, he makes up for in aggression. Take note of how many times the eldest Sims forces a slow play the ball, or gets the opposition all riled up.

That's just how Ashton plays, and you can bet there won't be any backing down against this week's opposing big men (and Cowboys club teammates) Matt Scott and James Tamou.

Key Match-Up: Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk versus Akuila Uate, Marika Koroibete and Kevin Naiqama.

Last week, Uate, Koroibete and Naiqama combined for 558 metres gained – that's over half a kilometre! Yes, it was against a Samoan kicking game that had less direction than an unpowered sat-nav, but there's no denying that Fiji's greatest strength lies with their powerful back three.

Where It Will be Won: Thurston and Cronk's ability to keep the Fijian wingers pinned in their corners will be crucial to sapping the Bati of their early energy. If that can be done, then it's just a matter of time before the Kangaroos overpower them.

Televised: 7mate – Live from 11:30pm Saturday (NSW); 10:30am (Qld)

The Way We See It: On form and on paper, it looks like Fiji are slated to give Australia a genuine fright. But the Kangaroos just have too much firepower, too many classy players, to lead them out of it. Kangaroos to kick on after halftime and win by three tries.

*Statistics: NRL Stats

http://www.nrl.com/

[DIEHARD]

Titans named for Kangaroos semi-final

iSelect Gold Coast Titans Co-Captains Greg Bird and Nate Myles have been named in an extended 19-man Australian squad to face Fiji in the Rugby League World Cup semi-final on Saturday.

Bird played in the Kangaroos' quarter final win over the USA last weekend and is expected to retain his starting spot, while it is understood Myles is in the running for one of the spots on the interchange bench against Fiji, with two players still to be omitted from the 19-man squad.

Myles was named in an extended 20-man squad prior to last week's quarter final clash but was not included in the final 17-man squad that thrashed the USA by the tune of 62-0.

Watch Kangaroos Coach Tim Sheens discuss the 19-man squad named for the semi-final clash against Fiji in the video player above.

Australian 19-man squad:

Cameron Smith (capt), Paul Gallen (vc), Greg Bird, Darius Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Robbie Farah, Andrew Fifita, Jarryd Hayne, Greg Inglis, Brett Morris, Nate Myles, Josh Papalii, Corey Parker, Matthew Scott, James Tamou, Brent Tate, Sam Thaiday, Johnathan Thurston.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[TITAN PETE]

Sheens focus on Fiji, not main RLWC rivals
By Liam FitzGibbon
AAP
8:59am Fri 22nd November, 2013

The Kangaroos insist Saturday's trip to Wembley will be much more than a fact-finding mission on their likely World Cup final opponents as they prepare to meet an improved Fiji.

The sides meet in a semi-final showdown in London, immediately after New Zealand and England square off in the other last-four match-up as part of Saturday's double-header.

Tim Sheens' tournament favourites are expected to be untroubled in cruising through to next week's final at Old Trafford, while they will get to sit back and watch their two biggest rivals tear into each other.

It's an ideal scenario for the Kangaroos, who are chasing World Cup redemption, but Sheens claims his focus hasn't wavered from the job at hand.

"I'm honestly not worried about what happens in the other game," Sheens said.

"I'm trying really hard to keep my focus and this team's focus on our game and we're not worried about what else is happening.

"The two injuries (Billy Slater and Luke Lewis) we've suffered have taught me you don't count on anything at this point.

"You've just got to get through healthy hopefully and then you worry about what might be after that."

Australia meet Fiji in a repeat of the 2008 semi-final and it's the second meeting between the sides at this tournament.

All four previous clashes have been lop-sided in Australia's favour, with the Kangaroos prevailing 34-2 in dreadful conditions in a group match in St Helens earlier this month.

Only the biggest upset in World Cup history would deny Australia a 13th consecutive final appearance but Kangaroos players are unanimously expecting the Petero Civoniceva-led Bati to be stronger than ever.

"They've definitely improved throughout the tournament and they'll be much better than they were against us a few weeks ago," Australian vice-captain Paul Gallen said.

A strong completion rate and an organised defence have been strengths for the Rick Stone-coached Fijians, who reached the last four with a 22-4 quarter-final win over Samoa.

They'll need to be at their strongest defensively against an Australian backline that produced its most polished attacking display in a 62-0 hammering of the US last week.

Greg Inglis will start at fullback in place of the injured Slater and, ominously for Fiji, Sheens believes the South Sydney star is back to his brilliant best following a mid-season knee injury.

"He has got the acceleration back," Sheens said.

Jarryd Hayne, playing in the centres, and winger Brett Morris will look to build on their destructive right-sided combination after each scored four tries against the Tomahawks.

Veteran centre Brent Tate has earned a recall and will play on the left, while Daly Cherry-Evans will continue in the utility role off the bench.

A crowd of around 70,000 is expected for Saturday's double-header.

[TITAN PETE]

Kangaroos smash Fiji to reach RLWC final
By Liam FitzGibbon
AAP
7:04am Sun 24th November, 2013


The Kangaroos earned a shot at Rugby league World Cup redemption by demolishing Fiji 64-0 at Wembley on Saturday to set up a showdown with reigning champions New Zealand in next weekend's final.

Australia piled on eleven tries, including a Jarryd Hayne hat-trick, and didn't concede a point for the third straight match in the second game of a semi-final double header in front of 67,545 fans in London.

It came after the Kiwis booked their place in next Saturday's decider at Old Trafford with a last-gasp 20-18 win over England in a World Cup classic.

Australia and New Zealand will meet in the final for the third straight tournament, with the Kangaroos out to avenge their shock loss in the 2008 decider.

While the Kiwis were pushed to the limit by England, Tim Sheens' side has strolled through almost effortlessly to a 13th straight World Cup final.

They've piled on 210 points in their past four games and haven't conceded a single try.

"It was a tougher game than most people would think looking at the scoreline and we have plenty of bruises. We went out to defend well and we did," Australia coach Tim Sheens told the BBC.

"We were embarrassed in the first game against England (in the first game of the tournament) and it will be a big ask next week against New Zealand.

"We have a week to get ready and we will be right."

Hayne continued his remarkable form in the centres, taking his tournament try-scoring tally to nine, while winger Darius Boyd had a double.

Man-of-the-match Johnathan Thurston and fellow playmaker Cooper Cronk ran riot while Greg Inglis, starting at fullback in place of the injured Billy Slater, was his usual dangerous self and Paul Gallen did the most damage up front.

The Kangaroos stormed to a 34-0 lead at halftime, running in six first-half tries.

Fiji started solidly but could only hold out the favourites for nine minutes with Thurston scoring with a fairly soft try.

Boyd crossed out wide in the 15th minute before Hayne set up Cronk four minutes later with a brilliant inside ball from the sideline.

Hayne got his first try four minutes later after being set up by Inglis, Josh Papalii barged through under the posts before Hayne added a second on the stroke of halftime.

After a slow start to the second half, James Tamou kept things ticking over when he stretched out to score in the 54th minute before Boyd crossed for his second.

Hayne scored his third in the 68th minute and could have had a fourth soon after but he unselfishly set up winger Brett Morris and Andrew Fifita completed the rout with a late try under the posts.

Saturday's match brought an end to the illustrious rugby league career of Fiji captain Petero Civoniceva, who played 35 Tests for the Kangaroos.

In the earlier game, England - led by the superb Sam Burgess - looked set to book an unlikely final berth before Shaun Johnson's last-minute try and conversion got New Zealand out of jail.

Fiji coach Rick Stone said it was a "disappointing way to finish the tournament".

"We couldn't match the Aussies in the skill and power, but we had a good tournament overall," he said.

"We competed pretty well against England and Australia at times and we need to look at where we can compete more against them.

"We have come a long way since the last World Cup in 2008 and hopefully we can take some bigger steps now."

[hammer]

Jarryd Hayne's form has been a revelation in the centres albeit against some mediocre teams...interesting where he will line up at club and representative level next year!

[Titanic]

Yawn of a game ... but agree Hayne seems to have found his position ... Tate has to go for the cheap-shot merchant Jennings.