Tara Jones sparked a first-half burst which left Leeds Rhinos reeling as St Helens kept their grip on the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup for the third straight year.

In the first women’s final played at Wembley, Saints scored tries in three consecutive sets and seldom looked in danger of surrendering their advantage as they cruised to a 22-8 triumph.

Caitlin Beevers did give Leeds some degree of hope with a brilliant solo try two minutes after the interval, but a swift response from Shona Hoyle effectively sealed a second straight loss for the Rhinos.

Lois Forsell’s side had started strongly with Dannielle Anderson and Jasmine Cudjoe both held up over the line before former Saint Amy Hardcastle’s 40 metre surge was brought to an end by a last-gasp tackle by Eboni Partington.

Jones created the shift in momentum by crashing over from dummy half in the 13th minute and two minutes later, Zoe Harris sent Phoebe Hook jinking down the right wing to add Saints’ second.

Two fine conversions from Amy Taylor – the second from the touchline – extended Saints’ advantage and they extended their lead three minutes later when Chantelle Crowl’s tenacity made space for an attack which ended in Partington crossing in the corner.

Saints were scything through the Leeds defence almost at will, but the Rhinos clung on and finally got on the board in the 25th minute when Beevers sent Sophie Robinson over in the corner.

Beevers’ sensational start to the second half – when she picked up the ball on her own 30 and shrugged off a series of Saints defenders – hauled Leeds back to within eight points and suggested a significant momentum shift.

But Leeds were guilty of slacking off at a crucial moment as Shona Hoyle found it too easy to bull over on the right to land their fourth try and restore Saints’ 12-point cushion.

Despite some tricky kicking from Caitlin Casey, Leeds were unable to breach a resolute Saints rearguard and a two-point kick from Taylor in the 64th minute stretched Matty Smith’s side further out of sight.

The next Rugby League World Cup will take place in the southern hemisphere in 2026, the sport’s international governing body has announced.

The tournament had been due to take place in France in 2025 but the prospective hosts pulled out in May citing a failure to achieve financial guarantees.

In addition, the IRL announced a resumption of the Ashes series with England’s men’s and women’s teams travelling to Australia in 2025, and return visits from New Zealand and Australia in 2027 and 2028 respectively.

The International Rugby League (IRL) said a precise decision on the hosting rights for the next World Cup will be announced later this year.

The revised tournament will feature a reduced field of 10 men’s teams, as well as eight-team women’s and wheelchair World Cups respectively.

IRL chairman Troy Grant said the organisation has received two separate bids to host the new tournament, presumed to be from Australia and New Zealand, which will be backed by government guarantees.

Grant said: “We will have an expedited bid process and the host will be identified before the year’s end, once the board has completed its due diligence of those bids.”

Hull KR coach Willie Peters will spare his star men the prospect of facing a potentially-vengeful Wigan on Friday night with their Wembley Challenge Cup final date fast approaching.

Peters plans to field a virtually-unrecognisable line-up for their Betfred Super League clash at the DW Stadium, including three players he has brought in this week on short-term loan deals plus three academy graduates who will make their first-team debuts.

Rovers edged Matt Peet’s men in a semi-final thriller at Headingley less than two weeks ago and despite their desire to cement a play-off spot, Peters is making no apologies for refusing to take risks with his already injury-hit squad.

“Obviously it’s a very important game this week but it’s a very important game next week too,” said Peters. “We will be going there with a team that is going to compete but we’ve got to be smart as well.

“If we have a team that goes out and competes from one minute to 80, I’ll be a proud coach. I think this is a game that we can hopefully go and make our fans proud of us, that a young team has gone over to Wigan and given their all.”

Rovers face Leigh at Wembley on August 12 where they will hunt their first Challenge Cup victory since their only previous triumph over city rivals Hull FC in 1980.

Peters confirmed the respective signings of Catalans half-back Cesar Rouge, Wakefield prop Isaac Shaw and Warrington forward Luke Thomas, all on two-week loan deals.

In addition, academy players Leo Tennison, Louix Gorman and Lennie Ellis will make the first team for the first time.

Peters is still hopeful that Tom Opacic, Eliot Minchella and Ethan Ryan will all recover from their current injuries in time for the Challenge Cup final a week on Saturday, but Jordan Abdull will definitely miss the Wembley date.

Jake Clifford returned to inspire Hull FC to their first win over St Helens in 17 attempts as they shrugged off the painful memory of last week’s Challenge Cup defeat with a blistering six-try performance at the MKM Stadium.

Just five days ago Josh Griffin’s sending-off for dissent cost his side a realistic chance of claiming a rare win over Paul Wellens’ men but Clifford – who had missed the Cup tie through concussion – delivered a 14-point haul to seal a 34-6 thrashing of the world champions.

Clifford, who was yet to turn professional the last time Hull beat Saints in 2017, set the tone by scoring the first try with less than seven minutes gone and set up the clincher for Cam Scott, before Darnell McIntosh rounded the night off in style with a devastating 70-yard burst.

Saints had swaggered into east Yorkshire on the back of six straight wins and suggesting they had recovered their best form in impressive recent wins over Huddersfield and Wigan.

But they were distinctly second best all evening, the visitors’ misery was compounded by glaring errors from the usually dependable duo of Lewis Dodd and Jack Welsby as Tony Smith’s men effectively sealed their win by storming into a 22-0 half-time lead.

Clifford opened the scoring when he stretched over from a short pass from McIntosh, then Carlos Tuimavave added a second after a burst from the impressive Andre Savelio after Dodd carelessly booted the ball into his arms.

Welsby’s moment to forget duly followed on 20 minutes, when he loitered over Jake Trueman’s kick, McIntosh squeezed past to flap the ball back and Trueman pounced to pat it down, Clifford’s second conversion taking Hull’s lead to 16.

Chris Satae found it far too easy to drive over just past the half-hour mark to score Hull’s fourth, and the first half damage could have been even worse for Saints after Davy Litten went over acrobatically in the corner but lost contact just before grounding.

Ears no doubt ringing from Wellens’ half-time team talk, Saints summoned the immediate response they required, when James Bell crossed under the posts after a storming run from Konrad Hurrell broke the Hull line for the first time.

With the half-time introduction of James Roby, Wellens’ men had added urgency, and there were signs of a momentum shift as Hull were forced to defend deep to repel a series of Saints attacks.

But the hosts emerged uncowed, and after surviving another difficult set they responded in style, Scott darting onto Clifford’s clever kick to twist over for his side’s fifth try.

Litten failed to ground another chance in the corner but McIntosh served up a fitting finale that sees his side shake off the memory of their early season woes and shaping up for an unlikely shot at the play-offs.

Hull KR full-back Lachlan Coote has retired with immediate effect on medical advice following a series of concussions over the past two seasons.

Australia-born Coote won three consecutive Super League titles with St Helens between 2019 and 2021 before joining Rovers ahead of the 2022 campaign.

The 33-year-old’s professional career also included international recognition with Scotland and Great Britain, in addition to spells with Penrith Panthers and North Queensland Cowboys.

“After suffering another concussion at Magic round, my fifth concussion in less than two years, I knew I was going to be faced with some tough conversations,” he told Hull KR’s website.

“With all the support from my coach Willie Peters, Paul Lakin (Hull KR CEO), Neil Hudgell (Hull KR owner) and the medical team at Hull KR, I have made a very difficult decision to retire immediately.

“Rugby league has always come first before anything, now I think it’s time to put my health, my future, my family first.

“I’m still finding it hard to come to terms with this decision and it has been a very emotional few days, knowing that I will not get to play alongside my team-mates again and finish off what we started.”

Coote made 27 appearances for Rovers, who sit seventh in the Super League after 15 games.

He scored 161 points for the club, surpassing 1,000 career points during that time.

Hull KR coach Peters said: “On behalf of everyone at Hull KR, we’d like to congratulate Lachlan on a wonderful 15-year career. Lachlan is a proven winner and will no doubt continue that into his retirement.

“It’s a sad situation for Lachlan having to retire halfway through the season. However, his health and family come first and the decision is the right one for him and his family.”

Seminal moments have been slow in coming to Odsal in recent years and opinions are split over whether Thursday night’s first match trialling a new rugby league tackle law represented a significant step in the fight against concussion or an idea the sport should swiftly forget.

The crumbling venue, witness to World Cup ties and a record six-figure Challenge Cup crowd in 1954, hosted the first match in an initial eight-week experiment at academy level which bars tackles above armpit height at first contact, and penalises all contact with the head at neck.

The match between the respective under-18 teams of Bradford and Leeds, which was won by the latter 50-32, featured the expected stratospheric penalty count, with 57 interventions by referee Matthew Lynn overall, including 49 for high tackles.

The trial is part of a bid to reduce the number of concussions in the game, with the intention, if it is backed up by data, of enshrining the new tackle technique in law across both community and academy fixtures in the game, though not at the elite level.

Bradford head of youth Ryan Hunkin said: “I went in open-minded, I didn’t know what it would be like, and I don’t think it was as bad as people were expecting.

“We knew there would be more penalties and they had more energy at half-time than normal because of the stop-start nature, but kids adapt. It’s the ideal age for them to try it because they adapt quickly at this age, and they soon pick it up.”

Both teams gave away two penalties each in the opening two sets, including in the first tackle of the game, and rumblings of discontent were clear among the players and the handful of spectators in the cavernous old stadium.

The inevitable stalls in momentum were mitigated by the opportunity for a more expansive game, with both sides tending to limit themselves to two men in the tackle, for fear that a third would inevitably incur another penalty.

Striking the right balance is crucial for Hunkin, who added: “As a spectacle I don’t think it was where it will be in eight weeks. It’s a start, and we’ve got to start somewhere. But it’s a contact sport and we want to try and keep it a contact sport.”

Rugby league’s approach to lowering concussion levels in the sport differs markedly from the approach of rugby union, which sparked controversy with its out-of-the-blue announcement in January that it was lowering the allowed tackle height to below the waist in all forms of the community game from July.

The backlash was such that the Rugby Football Union subsequently amended its new tackle height to below the sternum, although there remains resistance to the changes that are due to come into force next month.

While league officials hope their more inclusive move will ensure broader backing within the game, there is clearly concern in some quarters, and Hunkin’s counterpart at Leeds, John Bastian, reflected a markedly more measured response to the trial among the Rhinos backroom staff.

“I understand what the RFL are doing but something has to be better than that for us to make our sport safer because that is very, very difficult to watch and play in,” said Bastian.

“It was very complex for both teams and very complicated to play any rugby with any skill or momentum. The rules are being challenged by the Rugby Football League. That’s fine but it made the rules more complicated tonight.”

There was also an acknowledgement of the huge task facing officials in calling near-constant infractions in the tackle while maintaining a focus on other aspects of the game.

Elite referee Marcus Griffiths, who is effectively leading the roll-out from an officials’ perspective, praised the performance of Lynn, but stressed the importance of respecting the difficulties faced by referees in rolling out the new rules.

“It’s a massive ask to referee that way because we’re taught certain ways of identifying tackles and foul play, and we’re having to adapt too,” said Griffiths.

“He’s done an amazing job. It was challenging at times out there, and it’s a massive learning curve. At times, we’re going to need arms around officials because it’s challenging.

“To go out and give 57 penalties, it’s frustrating and at times you’re going to have players taking out their frustrations on you.”

On the eve of preparations to compete in the Naples 9s Tournament on Saturday, May 20, in Florida, the National Women’s rugby league team has received a boost from two corporate entities to assist in their participation in the tournament.

 Local company Mailpac Group Ltd. has come on board to assist the team. The arrangement will see the Women Reggae Warriors jersey display the company logo on the front of the playing shirt.

The Reggae Warriors will feature players from the Jamaican domestic league, Canada, and the US.  The tournament will be the second representative opportunity for the women’s team since they participated in the Americas 9s in Toronto in 2019.

 “It is an exciting time for women’s rugby league in Jamaica. We are determined to provide adequate representative opportunities for our ladies and in this instance, Mailpac’s support is warmly welcomed and will impact our national female athletes in a positive way,” said Mike Williams, the team’s manager.

Meanwhile, the management of Mailpac Group Ltd wished the team the best of luck for the tournament.

“The management of Mailpac Group Limited wishes to extend best wishes for success to the team as they compete in Naples!”, it said in a statement.

 The team has also garnered support from Florida based company, On The Spot Loans LLC. The company’s logo will feature prominently on the team’s off-field wear for the tournament.

 “We are happy to have the assistance of On The Spot Loans LLC, we are looking forward to building the relationship, especially for when we compete in tournaments and games in the USA,” Williams said.

 Meldiana Parker of On The Spot Loans LLC said, “We are proud sponsors of the Women Reggae Warriors 9s team. We wish the team all the best, and we will be there in person to show our support.”

 The women’s bracket will feature four teams - Jamaica Reggae Warriors, Carolina Blues, New York Roots and Carolina Storm.

The men’s draw features eight teams in two groups. Group One features Jamaica Exodus, New York Roots, Southwest Florida Copperheads and Cleveland Rockers.  Group Two features Carolina Storm, Jamaica Hurricanes, San Diego Barracudas and Miami Speed.

Jamaica Women Reggae Warriors

Angel Griffiths, Brenda Doctor, Carole Kelly, Crystal Groves, Daina Fearon, Debisha Scarlett, Janelle Cole, Johneeka Smith, Kamoya Forrest, Kimberly Coombs, Lokara Walker, Moesha Bogle, Naomi Dodd, Shanae Gordon, Shanique Smith, Shawna-Kay Douglas, Sherine Johnson, Trishana Wilson.

Qatar has emerged as a surprise contender to host the 2025 Rugby League World Cup after France relinquished hosting rights earlier this week.

The Gulf nation, which does not have a team or a world ranking, and has never played an international match, is one of four countries to express an interest in staging the event, along with New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa.

The International Rugby League is scrambling to preserve the tournament, which could still be delayed or scrapped alogether, after French organisers admitted they were unable to meet financial guarantees demanded by the French government.

IRL chairman Troy Grant confirmed: “We have received expressions of interest from New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and Qatar already.

“We are yet to make any assessments in regarded to their viability, I’m just being honest about who has reached out.

“It gives me comfort that there is interest in our sport and our World Cup. How real or viable any or all of those options are, we’re yet to make any of those assessments.”

The Qatari interest, which Grant said comprises two approaches combining state and public funding, continues the nation’s interest in muscling in on the global sporting landscape following a successful football World Cup last year.

And although unlikely, its offer may fit the expansionist policies of a sport that broke new ground when Toronto Wolfpack were accepted as the first transatlantic members of the English rugby league set-up in 2017.

New Zealand remain the obvious front-runners to step in to stage the tournament, but Grant acknowledged that tough decisions may need to be made given the limited time-frame for establishing new hosts.

They include postponement to a later date or outright cancellation, while there are also concerns about whether the current unique format, which comprised men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments, will remain viable at short notice.

“We understand that we need to move quickly,” added Grant. “It will certainly have a big bearing on where the tournament is in 2025, if it proceeds.

“There is a potential option to move out of this cycle and create a new cycle, and that will also be a discussion point for the board in June and July.

“We are not wedded to anything, to be honest. The experience of England last year was that the uniqueness of our offering, with the three World Cups being run at the same time, was a massive point of difference.

“It is a massive selling point so to abandon that strategy would be disappointing, but we have to be practical in any decisions we make going forward.

“It gets us to rethink how we do everything going forward. There’s a unique opportunity that this adversity presents, and I think we should take that opportunity.”

BB Coke High School won its first-ever U16 rugby league title after defeating Campion College 12-4 in the National U16 9s tournament at The Cedar Grove Academy in Portmore, St Catherine on Friday, May 7.

The win means BB Cokes ended the tournament on six points after also beating Spanish Town 24-8. However, they lost to Cedar Grove Academy 16-20. Spanish Town also ended on six points had an inferior points difference.

“The boys promised to bring the 9s title back home after they lost the 13s semi-finals to eventual champions Campion College. The win was built on getting the ball to our speedsters on the wings and strong defense in the middle of the park,” said winning coach Kamar Findlay.

“I was a bit surprised when we lost to Cedar Grove in our second match, but it served as a wake-up call for the team because they came out well against Spanish Town and got the win needed to top the tournament.

“We are extremely happy. This is our first title at the Under 16 level and the school and the entire community of Junction is celebrating with us.”

Duhaney Park Red Sharks defeated Washington Boulevard Bulls 21-8 in a thrilling final to the Easter’s tournament held at the BB Coke High School in St Elizabeth on Saturday. It was a historic occasion as it was the first time that the parish of St Elizabeth was hosting a senior Men’s 9-a-side rugby league tournament for the first time.

Both clubs went undefeated during the group stage and had identical 3-0 records heading into the final. The Bulls raced to an early lead through tries from Javon Lewis and Andree Lee but the Red Sharks pulled level before half-time with tries from Shaquille Pollack and Javian Bryan.

In the second half, the Red Sharks took the ascendancy with a strong defensive display and denied the Bulls any points and extended their lead with additional tries from Adrian Thomas, Kenneth Walker, Marvin Thompson, and Jenson Morris.

Tournament MVP Chevaughn Bailey wrapped up the scoring with a drop goal.

“We wanted our best performance on the day as we have lost out on the last few 9’s titles. Credit to all teams on making the journey to St. Elizabeth and special commendations to St Bess Sledgehammers on organizing a great tournament,” said winning captain Marvin Thompson.

West Kingston Hyenas copped third place with a close 8-4 win over the Jamaica Defence Force while hosts St Bess Sledgehammers finished fifth after an 18-8 win over St Catherine Thundercats.

 Portmore Rugby League Club took seventh spot with a 15-0 result over the Liguanea Dragons.

RLJ Vice Chair Adrian Hall was impressed with the tournament.

 “It was fantastic to see seven teams travel from Kingston and St Catherine and ensure a successful tournament,” he said.

“We hope to widen the footprint of rugby league in St Elizabeth and the Easter 9s was a good advert for the game. The JMD$70,000 in total prize money for the top three teams added a special incentive for teams to perform to their best.”

The tournament that was sponsored by Cheddi’s Surveillance Cameras and Digital Services, provided good preparation for several national players who will compete for Jamaica in the USARL 9s on May 20 in Naples, Florida.

Rugby League Jamaica wrapped up its 13-a-side high school championships on Monday when both the U14 and U16 finals were played at Campion College.

The games marked the first time since the Covid pandemic that the Championships have been played in full and saw over 200 student athletes participate. The Cedar Grove Academy placed teams in both finals, a remarkable achievement, seeing they had already won the U19 title last November. However, they were denied the sweep as opponents Calabar High (U14s), and Campion College (U16s) craved out narrow victories.

In the U14 finals, Calabar were chasing their own piece of history as they sought to become the first High school team to win 5 consecutive age grade Championships. They achieved this with a narrow and hard fought 18-14 score line. The match had several lead changes and was tied 14-14 at fulltime.

The contest was decided in overtime by Amare Anderson who scored a break away try on Calabar’s first set of six. Other scorers for the winners Jhaidan Williams with a try and finals MVP Tevez Tulloch with10 points from 2 tries and a goal. Meanwhile, for Cedar Grove, Laquan Burton, Christian Campbell and Shamar Cunningham each scored a try and Nathan Brown kicked a goal.

Calabar coach Derone Davis said, “We are extremely proud of our performance. Cedar Grove is a very good team and played a great match, they’d beaten us in the round robin stage and so we knew we had to dig deep in the finals.  We held our composure well in the second half and overtime and it paid off, it means a lot to have one more Championship in this age grade.”

The U16 finals was also a hotly contested affair as both Campion and Cedar Grove chased their maiden U16 National title. Campion took an early first half lead through prop Ehinome Ehikhametalor, but Cedar Grove immediately hit back through Tajay Brown. The scores remained tied until late in the second half when Ehinome crashed over for his second and decisive try, his performance cementing him as the finals MVP.

Campion’s coach Andrew Dixon said, “The boys worked hard throughout the season, and it all came together for them. Our season was built on being able to defend well and this enabled us to overcome a very talented Cedar Grove outfit today. Overall, we are just happy to bring Campion its first U16 rugby league Championship, it means a lot to this team.”

Shaun Wane has signed a new contract with England to remain as head coach until the end of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

There was disappointment for England at last year's World Cup on home soil as they lost to Samoa in golden-point extra time to exit the tournament in the semi-finals.

Australia went on to defeat Samoa in the final, with the competition – officially the 2021 edition – having been held one year later than planned due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

But following a thorough review, which included the Rugby Football League (RFL) consulting with senior players, former Wigan Warriors boss Wane will retain his job, with France set to host the next World Cup in 2025.

"The RFL Board received and considered at length a detailed review of the performance of each of the England teams at RLWC2021," RFL chair Simon Johnson said.

"No stone was left unturned in the review, which included submissions from coaches, players and staff alike.

"The report generated a good, robust and lengthy discussion at our February board meeting. We are confident that we have the right people in place."

Duhaney Park Firestorms defeated Washingston Boulevard Bulls 33-22 to claim the Jamaica Rugby League Division II crown on Saturday, January 28 at the UWI Mona bowl.

Six players - Kenneth Walker, Chevaughn Carter, Adrian Thomas, Owen Linton, Akeem Murray, and Jenson Morris scored tries for the champions.

Javian Bryan kicked three goals and Joseph Shae added another, while Chevaughn Bailey also contributed with a drop goal.

The Bulls, early leaders in the contest, scored four tries via Anthoney Findlay, Karllone Batten, and Julius Reid.

 Lawrence Drummond added another plus kicked a conversion while Oshane Eddie closed out their account with four points from two goals.

In the playoff for third place, the West Kington Hyenas narrowly defeated the CMU Spartans 24-18.

JRLA Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith said expressed relief and delight that the competition was able to resume following a two-year pandemic enforced hiatus.

“We weren’t sure how the teams would react to the competition’s relaunch, but it has been brilliant,” he said.

“We have lots of players new to the game involved, playing alongside veterans willing to show them the way. The season was extremely competitive, and we had a few upsets along the way that made it very interesting. It’s a good platform senior men’s rugby league to build on for 2023.”

James Tedesco pinpointed the "special bond" within the Australia squad as the driving factor for Saturday's Rugby League World Cup triumph.

Australia captain Tedesco crossed over for two tries, as did Latrell Mitchell, in a 30-10 victory over Samoa as the Kangaroos cruised to a 12th world crown at Old Trafford.

The Australians have won their last 19 matches on English soil in the competition, in which they have reached every final since 1957, and Tedesco lauded the unity between his side after victory.

"It is pretty unbelievable. This group of blokes came over here six or seven weeks ago and we've got such a special bond," he told BBC Sport.

"COVID-19 has killed us for three years, not being able to play for our country, but we came here early and got along straight away.

"We created that connection from the start and wanted to work hard for each other."

Samoa missed the chance for a second-half fightback after Angus Crichton was fortunate to only be sin-binned for a high tackle on Chanel Harris-Tavita.

Cameron Murray extended the lead despite the one-man disadvantage as late tries for Brian To'o and Stephen Crichton proved a mere consolation for Samoa, who were playing in their first World Cup final.

Australia head coach Mal Meninga says he never had any doubts his side would hold off Samoa's advances to secure more silverware.

"It's fantastic. It's one of those games and you sit up there," Meninga said. The first half was expectational, we did what we needed to do.

"In the second half we scrambled well, a man down but we still scored points. It's what you do, you work for each other. I wasn't nervous, I'm confident in this footy team.

"Defensively, we only had 12 against a Samoa side who threw everything, I was still comfortable."

Meninga hailed the "exceptional" Tedesco as a "worthy man of the match" before praising the togetherness of his World Cup-winning side.

"They're committed to each other. There is respect and humility for our jersey, for the opposition," he added.

"We brought our best game tonight. We've had a long year but have been rewarded for effort tonight. What a way to finish our 2022 season."

Australia captain James Tedesco scored two tries as the Kangaroos cruised to their 12th Rugby League World Cup crown with a 30-10 victory over Samoa on Saturday.

The Australians had little difficulty in sweeping aside their opponents, who were playing in their first final after beating hosts England to reach the trophy match.

Latrell Mitchell crashed over after 14 minutes before Tedesco and Liam Martin – the latter after a video review – added tries in a prosperous first half for Australia at Old Trafford.

Nathan Cleary only added the extras to one of those first-half tries, though, before Angus Crichton was fortunate to only be sin-binned for a high tackle on Chanel Harris-Tavita after the interval.

Cleary found Cameron Murray to extend 12-man Australia's lead before a delicate Josh Addo-Carr kick teed up Crichton, though the video referee ruled out the try after the latter failed to ground the ball.

Brian To'o finally responded for Samoa with 20 minutes remaining, but any hopes of a fightback were stifled when Tedesco broke through for his second score.

Stephen Crichton managed a late consolation before Mitchell bundled over for his second try, as Australia eased to a 19th straight World Cup match win on English soil to secure more silverware.