Australia regain form to beat Samoa in World Cup semi at Allianz Stadium
Australia beat Samoa in a Rugby League World Cup semi-final at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Sunday night, with the Kangaroos producing a markedly improved performance to progress to the final. Samoa’s tournament ended amid intense emotion from players and supporters, who filled the stadium with flags and song.
Samoa arrived at the tournament backed by passionate Pasifika support and a squad drawn largely from NRL talent honouring ancestral ties, with fans following the team across the country. Lapi Mariner performed the Samoan anthem and the crowd reacted with tears as the players left the field, then gathered for the Toa Siva Tau, shouting: “Samoa! Ready for the war! Fight fiercely! Work to achieve! The Manu! Let’s go!”
The match opened with physical confrontations in close quarters—Tino Fa’asuamaleaui squared up to Brian To’o, Jazz Tevaga bristled under Jack Bostock’s chin and Latrell Mitchell remained composed—before Australia struck first. Tom Dearden scored after drawing Samoa in while Reece Walsh prepared at the back, and Jarome Luai’s muffed dropout allowed Keaon Koloamatangi to charge and deliver an inside pass for Jacob Preston to cross.
Samoa’s emotion translated into errors at crucial moments, while Australia began to look more cohesive after previous uneven displays. Cam Munster varied his running lines, Tom Trbojevic finished from wider positions, and off the bench Cameron Murray accumulated post-contact metres; Pat Carrigan’s explosive introduction induced two hurried mistakes from Samoa.
Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters adopted a reserved approach on the sideline as his team extended control, and Australia led five tries to one at half-time. Earlier in the day the Jillaroos had been rattled by Fiji and had to bring on bench players to overturn an 0-8 deficit; in the men’s semi Australia had raced to a 26-2 position as their opponents struggled to contain errors while fans continued to celebrate in the stands.
Reece Walsh’s moments summed up the night: he spilled a bomb that let in a Samoa score when Crichton reacted, then scored shortly afterwards to restore a 24-point margin and was named man-of-the-match. The result also underlined Walters’ willingness to select on reputation rather than recent form; fewer than half of the Kangaroos had played finals football this year and James Tedesco, captain of the 2026 premiers, was omitted from the squad entirely.
New Zealand enter the final as the form side, with their fullback Kalyn Ponga returning from a broken arm sustained in the tournament’s first round after a narrow grand final defeat the previous season. Ponga and Walsh had earlier produced what the report called one of the most epic duels in Test history, and Ponga returned this weekend to help New Zealand beat Tonga in the other semi-final, setting up a rematch with Walsh in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Australia now face New Zealand in Sunday’s World Cup final, where Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga are set to renew their contest; there will be plenty of emotion when he and Walsh meet at Sunday’s big dance, but that alone won’t win a World Cup.