RLWC2021 Daily Wrap: Day One

Day One of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup is done. If you didn't feel like ruining your mood for the entire week by staying up for it, have a read.

From the first blow of the whistle, England looked like the better team. But, without taking away from what was a superior English performance, the takeaway from this match is how bad Samoa was rather than how good England were.

Meeting the bigger Samoan pack with great defensive line speed and rolling through the middle with ease almost instantly when they had the ball, Samoa had no answer. Failing to cross the line in their first few chances (including a try-saver on Tom Burgess by Joseph Sua'ali'i) Sam Tomkins, George Williams, and Jack Welsby linked up to give the hosts their first try.

Honestly. I can’t overstate how bad Samoa’s middle defence was.

After Dom Young scored two more spectacular tries, it was an Izack Tago intercept that earned Samoa 6 points (and Stephen Crichton was millimeters from giving them six more), with England heading into halftime up by 12 with the game ready to sway to either team.

Boy… did it sway in England’s direction.

Samoa just never looked competitive and the sin bin of Anthony Milford after an ugly late shot did little to help. A game that was at one point a closely-contested yet one-sided affair quickly turned into a demolition job.

Key Moments

- Victor Radley subbed off in the 32nd minute.

While England wouldn’t be too mad at how the game panned out, this was a huge moment for England's hopes of World Cup glory.

In the handful of minutes left Radley was off the field for, Sua’ali’i made an incredible break from fullback, Welsby threw an intercept and Samoa almost scored twice. It was only the desperate effort of Herbie Farnworth and a 50/50 call that left them with a 12-point lead.

Either Radley will have to play 80 in the big games or they will need to figure out how to play without him.

- Anthony Milford Sin Bin

Past the 60th minute as the game was beginning to slip away from Samoa, Milford, the teams' halfback and one of its most experienced players, decided to smash Tomkins off-the-ball late and lose his team a player in a game they were already struggling in.

After what was already a poor game from Milford, when they most desperately needed him to be a calm head, he was the opposite. Perhaps Samoa should look elsewhere for a halfback, find a way to get the most out of him, or dial back their expectations for the World cup.

- Stephen Crichton Disallowed Try

Look, Samoa lost by almost sixty. But, on the stroke of halftime, the Samoan side was denied a try by the video ref that was a 50/50 call at best.

I thought it was no try, but I certainly wouldn’t have been mad if it was awarded. A confident Samoa, now only down 18-12 after scoring two tries in ten minutes… that’s a totally different game.

Standout Players

- Victor Radley

From ball playing to powerful defence, hard running, and all the little things, Radley was in everything positive for the English side. With 130m, 2 linebreak assists and 16 tackles in 52 minutes, there wasn’t much he didn’t have his hands on.

- George Williams

If England is going to do anything in this competition, George Williams is going to have to be at his best. Against Samoa, he was pretty damn good. Sure, 2 try assists, 157m, 6 tackle breaks and 2 line breaks weren’t bad, but it’s his weird and unexpected plays, like a chip-and-chase or show-and-go that George will have to continue to use to keep the big teams on their toes when they face.

- Herbie Farnworth

While his good looks are more than enough for him to stand out, it was Herbie’s defence this morning that stood out. Saving at least four almost certain tries and barely giving Stephen Crichton room to breathe, he was exceptional. Plus, 170m and a try.

If there was ever a game that felt like the first of the Tournament with an unsettled team, this is it. Combine a strangely disjointed Australian Kangaroos with an energised Fiji who came to play, and you get Fiji scoring first and putting the Kangaroos under a heap of pressure.

Unfortunately, it was the two players who were the impetus for everything they did well, Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau, who made multiple crucial mistakes that allowed the Aussies to gain control. Koroisau’s multiple knock-ons in his own half and Kikau’s in-the-ruck penalty & dissent combo really stood out.

Sitting at 18-4 to Australia after what was a poor half from them, it felt like they were going to blow Fiji off the field in the second half.

While they didn’t put the score on Fiji that I thought they would, the Aussies continued the form they found in the first half and Fiji struggled to work their way back into the arm wrestle.

Key Moments:

- Fiji shoot themselves in the foot

Early in the match, Fiji was forced to defend multiple sets on their line, the Fijian defence found a way to keep the Kangaroos out. Set after set the Aussies threw everything they had at them and got turned away.

When Fiji finally got the ball back, Kikau made a crucial error and gave the Kangaroos the ball back. Fiji never really looked like competing again.

- Daly Cherry-Evans… Playing

If there was ever some mystery surrounding who should be the halfback for the Kangaroos in the big game, Cherry-Evans’ performance provided clear answers.

Nathan Cleary.

While there was nothing particularly bad about his game, Manly fans would be used to the running around like a headless chicken, frantic passes, and generally poor choices that he makes. Cleary doesn’t have that in his game.

- The Kangaroos Left Edge

While it took some time to jump into gear, once it got going, there was no answer for the combination of Cameron Munster, Angus Crichton, Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr.

Whether it was Mitchell quickly shifting it to Addo-Carr for a near full-field runaway try or a short-ball from Munster to Crichton, it was undoubtedly the best part of the Aussies game and should be there come the finals.

- The Hooker Rotation

Ben Hunt is a really solid hooker. He delivers good ball, doesn’t overly push the mark on forward passes from dummy half, communicates with his halves, and is a very strong tackler.

The best part about starting Hunt at Hooker? Bringing Harry Grant off the bench.

Immediately upon Grant entering the match, the speed and energy of the Kangaroos lifted. He’s a nightmare around the ruck. His introduction before halftime will be one of Australia’s best weapons going forward.

Standout Players:

- Angus Crichton

While he made a few errors during the match, it was a disjointed and strangely fast-paced match. In one of the most hotly contested positions in the team, Crichton made it incredibly hard for anyone to take it off him. Running aggressively for almost 200m, hitting holes with dedication and working hard in defence — he was exceptional.

- Cameron Munster

A strange, disjointed game. Has anything sounded like it would suit Cameron Munster more? In his classic, hard-to-put-a-finger-on style, Munster was in everything for the Kangaroos.

- Sunia Turuva

The 20-year-old Penrith Panther was a standout in a well-beaten side. Constantly chasing the ball and always in the picture, if Fiji were looking dangerous at all, he was somewhere in the midst of it. Racking up 150m and a try, it’s a shame Fiji didn’t get more attacking opportunities.