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The Kangaroos can move within one game of reclaiming the Rugby League World Cup when they meet Fiji at Wembley Stadium this morning. Join us for live scores from 2.30am AEDT.
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.
– With AAP
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