Having retained the World Cup with a typically ruthless display, two-try Australia star Latrell Mitchell fired: “Now let’s face England.”
The swashbuckling centre featured as Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos swept to a record-extending 12th tournament success at Old Trafford. Huge underdogs Samoa, the first Pacific nation to play in a World Cup final, put up a valiant fight but couldn’t live with their rivals’ intensity. However, the World Cup came and went without Australia even facing England with the old rivals still having not clashed since the Kangaroos edged the 2017 World Cup decider in Brisbane.
Shaun Wane’s side’s shock semi-final exit against Samoa ended those hopes. There is nothing yet firmed up for Australia in the international calendar for 2023 while all England know is they’ll face France in April. A planned Ashes series here in 2020 was axed due to Covid and fans and players alike would love to see that happen next year.
Australia, of course, had been out of action completely since 2019, the main reason they had fallen to No.4 in the world rankings before this tournament kicked off last month. But, having won his first World Cup, South Sydney star Mitchell insists they have their appetite back and knows what the Green and Golds want next. He said: “England has got to come to us now.
“We will take them on in Oz. One hundred per cent. England come to Oz and play there. Absolutely. We are ranked No.1 now. We should have been all along and we proved why - and we are going to keep proving it for the next couple of years.”
Only England’s staunchest fans would argue the hosts would have produced a different result if they’d faced clinical Australia on Saturday. Hopefully they will get their chance soon although any meet-up is more likely to be in 2024, the year before the next World Cup in France. Barnstorming Mitchell scored Australia’s first and last tries after admitting being stirred up by Samoa’s Siva Tau haka.
He said: “They’re a very passionate mob and when they do their war cry it’s something very special. I think Spencer Leniu actually got in my face which sort of poked the bear a little. It switched me on from the kick-off and I knew I was ready for the game. Winning this is definitely a special moment I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life. It’s something I’ve always wanted to tick off as a young fella. I’ve done a few things in the game but this is No1.”
Player of the match James Tedesco (2), Liam Martin and Cameron Murray scored their other tries. Samoa thought Australia’s Angus Chrichton should have been red-carded rather than sin-binned for a 47th minute elbow that ended Chanel Harris-Tavita’s game. But they still couldn’t get off the mark with an extra man, Brian To’o not crossing until the hour mark before Stephen Crichton’s late intercept.
