RUGBY LEAGUE - INTERNATIONALS
1982
Ashes Tour - 1st Test - Australia (40) @ (4) Great Britain - In the 1st test, Australia continued their unbeaten run on the tour with a big win over the old enemy. Australia fielded a young team while Great Britain went with an older, more experienced team. Both teams were equally matched in the 1st half, with Australia holding a 10-4 lead at the half. But the 2nd half belonged to the Aussies as their youthful and dynamic back-line laid the foundation to score 30 unanswered points and completely shut-down the GB attack. The Australian tries came from 8 different players; Brett Kenny, Mal Meninga, Les Boyd, Eric Grothe, Ray Price, Kerry Boustead, Rod Reddy and Wayne Pearce. The GB points came from 2 penalty kicks from 19 years old Lee Crooks. GB also featured Des Drummond in his first GB test. Australia also featured Peter Sterling and captain Max Krilich (8, Player-to-Recorder copy, 1 Disc, CH7 - Mossop/Ross, PAL)
1988
Ashes Tour - 3rd Test - Great Britain (26) @ (12) Australia - Great Britain finally won a game against Australia for the first time in 10 years, restoring some pride after losing the 1st and 2nd Tests. Tries from Henderson Gill (2), Martin Offiah, Phil Ford and a sensational 80 metre run from Mike Gregory did the damage. Australia were led by Wally Lewis and featured Peter Sterling, Paul Vautin, Wayne Pearce, Andrew Ettingshausen and Martin Bella (8, 1 Disc, CH9 - Eastlake/Gibson/Cronin, PAL)
World Cup - Final - Australia (25) v (12) New Zealand - Australia retained their World Championship title with an upset win over the Kiwis, in New Zealand. The inexperienced Aussies blasted out of the gate and posted a 21-0 lead at the break, and held on as the Kiwis attempted a fight-back in the 2nd half. The Kangaroos tries came from Allan Langer (2), Gavin Miller and Dale Shearer. The team was led by Wally Lewis, who had to leave the game with a broken arm. The Kiwis tries came from the Iro brothers, Tony and Kevin, and the team were led by Kurt Sorenson (8, 1 Disc, CH9 - Eastlake/Warren, PAL)
1990
Ashes Tour - 1st Test - Australia (12) @ (19) Great Britain - Great Britain started the Ashes series with a stunning win, using great defense and 3 tries in the 2nd half to claim the victory. The tries were scored by Ellery Hanley, Andy Gregory and Gary Schofield. Australia featured captain Mal Meninga (8, 1 Disc, CH9 - Hughes/Morrow/Durkin/Lowe, PAL)
Ashes Tour - 2nd Test - Australia (14) @ (10) Great Britain - Australia evened the series with a sensational win in the final seconds. Great Britain had levelled the scores with 10 minutes left with a 50 metre interception try by Paul Loughlin but Ricky Stuart and Mal Meninga combined for a length of the field try to seal the win. Great Britain featured Martin Offiah, Ellery Hanley and Andy Gregory. Australia featured Laurie Daley, Ben Elias, Cliff Lyons and Andrew Ettingshausen (9, 1 Disc, CH10 - Hughes/Morrow/Durkin/Lowe, PAL)
1991
Friendly - Papua New Guinea (0) @ (68) Wales - On a record setting night in Swansea, Wales dominated the tourists with a try bonanza. Led by captain Jonathan Davies (24 points) the Welsh scored 13 tries with Phil Ford (3), Anthony Sullivan (2), Rob Ackerman, Jonathan Griffiths, Jonathan Davies (2), Alan Bateman, Kevin Ellis, David Bishop and Adrian Hadley all touching down. Wales also featured John Devereux and Paul Moriarty. The referee was Bill Harrigan (8, Sparkles in the picture, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson/Hutton, PAL)
1992
Lions Tour - Great Britain (16) @ (22) Paramatta Eels - Despite their poor league form, the Eels put on a great performance to beat the visting Great Britain team. The Lions were no match for the speedy Eels backs and weren't helped by making too many errors of their own. The Eels led 12-6 at the half, but the Lions scored 2 quick tries at the start of the 2nd half to take a 16-12 lead before Brett Kenny inspired the Eels to 2 more tries to take the win. The Eels tries came from Mark Laurie, Michael Buettner, Scott Mahon and Stu Galbraith. Michael Buettner also added 3 goals. The Lions tries came from Martin Offiah (2) and Shaun Edwards. The Eels also featured Danny Crnkovich and Lee Oudenryn. The Lions also featured Paul Schofield, Dennis Betts and Gary Connolly (8, Player-to-Recorder copy, Occasional very brief scrambled picture but audio OK, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson/Davies, PAL)
Ashes Tour - 1st test - Great Britain (6) @ (22) Australia - The opening game of the Ashes series predictably went the way of the Aussies, with GB fading in the 2nd half to give the Green and Gold an easy win. The Aussies only led 8-2 at the half with the only try from Mal Meninga. Australia started the 2nd half strong and scored 2 tries from Mal Meninga and Paul Sironen to end the game as a contest. Joe Lydon scored a consolation try for GB but Australia had the last word with a try from Michael Hancock. Australia also featured Rod Wishart, Andrew Etinghausen, Laurie Daley and Allan Langer. Great Britain were led by Garry Schofield and also featured Lee Crooks, Martin Offiah and Andy Gregory (8, On same disc as the 2nd and 3rd tests, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL)
Ashes Tour - 2nd test - Great Britain (33) @ (10) Australia - Great Britain stunned the Aussies and levelled the series with a big win in Melbourne. Great Britain came out of the gates on fire and led 22-0 at the half with tries from Phil Clarke, Paul Newlove and Garry Schofield, The Aussies started strong in the 2nd half with tries from Bob Lindner and Chris Johns but a try from Graham Steadman with 8 minutes remaining calmed GB nerves and sealed the win (8, On same disc as the 1st and 3rd tests, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL)
Ashes Tour - 3rd test - Great Britain (10) @ (16) Australia - The Aussies clinched the series win at Lang Park and claimed the Ashes. Australia led 8-4 at half-time with all the points for both teams coming on penalty kicks (4 for Mal Meninga, 3 for Paul Newlove). In the 2nd half, Australia extended their lead with a Laurie Daley try and, despite a late 90 metre try from Martin Offiah, the Aussies held on for the win (8, On same disc as the 1st and 2nd tests, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL)
1995
World Cup Group A - England (20) v (16) Australia - In the opening game of the World Cup, England upset the holders Australia with a surprise win. Tries from Andy Farrell, Chris Joynt, Paul Newlove and Jason Robinson did the damage, mostly as a result of errors made by the Aussies. Australia led 6-4 at the half but a fumble was run in by Robinson and an errant pass was picked off and run in by Newlove. A late Aussie try from Steve Menzies couldn't save the day and England started with a win. England also featured Shaun Edwards, Kris Radlinski, Dennis Betts and John Bentley. Australia were led by Brad Fittler and also featured Rod Wishart, Geoff Toovey and Matthew Johns (8, 1 Disc, BBC - French/Simms/Lydon, PAL)
World Cup Group C - Wales (22) v (10) Western Samoa - Wales clinched a spot in the World Cup Semi-Final with a tough, physical win over Western Samoa at the Vetch Field in Swansea. Both teams were evenly matched in the 1st half and Wales went in at the break with a slim 14-10 lead. But in the 2nd half, Wales took control, helped by ill-discipline and poor ball-handling from Western Samoa. The Welsh pack, led by Kelvin Skerritt, Martin Hall, Paul Moriarty and Scott Quinnell (on his international debut), started making in-roads on the Samoans and used great Defense to keep them scoreless in the 2nd half, setting up a hard-fought victory. The Wales tries came from Kevin Ellis, Iestyn Harris and Anthony Sullivan with Jonathan Davies adding 9 points with the boot. The Western Samoan try came from Vila Mata'utia with John Schuster kicking 6 points. Western Samoa also featured Va'aiga Tuigamala, Paddy Tuimavave, Willie Poching and Apollo Perelini (9, 2020 re-broadcast, 1 Disc, BBC - Unknown, PAL)
World Cup Semi-Final - England (26) v (10) Wales - In a very physical game, England booked a place in the final, using great finishing to beat the Welsh. England scored tries from Martin Offiah (2), Dennis Betts, Andy Farrell and Paul Newlove but the star for England was Halfback Bobby Goulding. England were only up 11-4 at the half but Goulding inspired England with great tactical kicking. The Welsh couldn't build on a great performance from the pack as Five-Eight Jonathan Davies, in his final League International, struggled to get the backs going. England also featured Kris Radlinski, Jason Robinson, Tony Smith and Karl Harrison. The Welsh also featured Iestyn Harris, John Devereux, Alan Bateman, Scott Gibbs, Kelvin Skerrett and Scott Quinnell (8, 1 Disc, BBC - French/Duckenfield/Flanagan/Lydon, PAL)
2006
ANZAC Test - New Zealand (12) @ (50) Australia - New Zealand had previously beaten the Wallabies 24-0 to claim the Tri-Nations crown and the Aussies were out for revenge. Stoking the fire was Australia Half-back Karmichael Hunt, a Kiwi who had shunned his home country to represent the Wallabies. After a physical 1st half, Australia took over and scored 6 tries in the 2nd half. Karmicahel Hunt was knocked out of the game on a stretcher after a vicious hit from Frank Pritchard. The game was the final test for Andrew Johns (6 conversions, 2 penalties) and Ben Kennedy (1 conversion) (9, 2 Discs, CH9 - Warren/Sterling/Gould, PAL)
Tri-Nations Group game - Great Britain (23) @ (12) Australia - Great Britain's Sean Long turned in a man-of-the-match performance as he led the Lions to their 1st win in Australia since 1988. Despite some early physicality from Australia's Willie Mason, including a 1 punch knockout of Stuart Fielden, the Lions built on a 6-6 tie at the half to pull away with tries from Peacock and Gilmour (10, 2 versions - BBC 30 minute hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Woods/Davies, PAL / SKY full game, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL)
2008
Centenary Test - New Zealand (12) @ (28) Australia - Australia used a first half point blitz and a strong second half defensive effort to beat the Kiwis. Tries from Mark Gasnier (2), Paul Gallen and Cameron Smith in the first 22 minutes stunned New Zealand, who then fought back with 2nd half tries of their own from Soliola and Perrett. Gasnier's first try was amazing as Greg Inglis batted back into play a ball that was bouncing out of the in-goal area for Gasnier to touch down (10, 2 Discs, CH9 - Warren/Sterling/Gould, PAL)
World Cup - Pool 1 - Australia (54) v (4) England - Australia inflicted on England their worst ever World Cup defeat as they run in 9 tries. Billy Slater and Greg Inglis each scored 3 tries with Anthony Laffranchi scoring 2 tries and Joel Monaghan scoring 1. The lone England try came from James Roby (2 versions : 10, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL / 10, 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Woods/Davies, PAL)
World Cup - Pool 3 - Ireland (34) v (16) Samoa - Ireland produced one of the upsets of the tournament by beating Samoa and booking a place in the Semi-Final qualifier. Ireland needed to win by 6 points to qualify and home-town hero and Ireland Captain Pat Richards scored 3 tries and racked up 22 points to make sure they did (10, 1 Disc, SKY - Arthur/Clarke, PAL)
World Cup - Final - Australia (20) v (34) New Zealand - In the biggest ever World Cup upset, New Zealand won their 1st ever title and ended the 33 year Australian win streak in the tournament. A hard hitting game was decided in the 2nd half as Aussie mistakes gifted the Kiwis a lead that theyd defended heroically to the end. The stars for the Kiwis were Lance Hohaia and Benji Marshall, each with a try, while Australia were led by Captain Darren Lockyer (2 tries) and Billy Slater (2 versions : 10, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL / 10, 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Woods/Davies, PAL)
2009
Four Nations - Group Match - Australia (20) v (20) New Zealand - In the inaugural 4 nations tournament, the Kiwis and the Kangaroos continued their rivalry. The Aussies were odds-on favourites despite the Kiwis playing as the reigning World Champions. A very physical game was tied at 6-6 at the half with an early Kiwi try from Frank-Paul Nuuausala cancelled out by a try from Josh Morris. Australia took control after the break with a try from Johnathan Thurston but the Kiwis then scored 14 unanswered points with tries from Junior Sa'u, Lance Hohaia and Frank Pritchard. With the game entering the final 2 minutes Australia levelled the scores with a Cameron Smith try and a Thurston conversion and the game finished all-even. The game MVP was Kiwi Lance Hohaia. Australia also featured Darren Lockyer (who surpassed Mal Meninga's record for most international caps for the Kangaroos), Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Jarryd Hayne. The Kiwis also featured FuiFui MoiMoi, Benji Marshall and Isaac Luke (10, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL)
Four Nations - Group Match - Australia (26) v (16) England - The old enemies clashed on British soil for the first time since 2005 and, in a game of 2 halves, the Kangaroos came out victorious. Australia dominated the 1st half, going in at the break with a 26-0 lead thanks to tries from Greg Inglis, Brett Morris, Billy Slater (2) and Darren Lockyer. But England re-grouped and kept the Kangaroos scoreless during the 2nd half while posting 16 points themselves with tries from Sam Burgess, Gareth Ellis and Lee Smith. But the deficit was too much to overcome and the Aussies held on for the win (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear, PAL)
Four Nations - Group Match - Australia (42) v (4) France - Australia confirmed their place in the 4 nations final with a runaway win in Paris. The Kangaroos rested key players Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges and this led to a dis-jointed 1st half and they led only 8-0 at the break. But in the 2nd half, they turned the screw and run in 6 tries. Michael Jennings scored 3 tries on debut and was followed by a try for Luke Lewis and 2 tries each for the Morris twins, Josh and Brett (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear, PAL)
Four Nations - Final - Australia (46) v (16) England - In the inaugural 4 Nations final, the 2 old enemies met, with the Aussies clear favourites having beaten England in the Group stages. But the English played tough, down only 14-10 at the half and briefly led 16-14 in the 2nd half before Australia ran riot, scoring 6 tries in final 27 minutes to take the win. The English tries came from Sam Burgess (2) and Peter Fox. The Australia tries came from Billy Slater (3), Brett Morris (2), Greg Inglis, Jarryd Hayne and Cameron Smith. The Aussies also featured Darren Lockyer (who became the first Australian to play 50 tests) and game MVP Jonathan Thurston (9, Slight pixellation, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL)
4 Nations - Hi-Lites - 4 episodes of 1 hour duration with hi-lites of each round of the inaugural 4 nations tournament and the final. Includes post-game interviews and analysis (10, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
2010
Four Nations - Group Match - England (10) v (24) New Zealand - The opening game of the Four Nations went the way of the hosts, as New Zealand held off a spirited 2nd half fight-back by the English to take the win. New Zealand led 12-0 at the half with tries from Junior Sa'u and Lance Hohaia and started the 2nd half with a try from Shaun Kenny-Dowall before England countered with 2 tries in 2 minutes from James Roby and Gareth Widdop. Widdop's try came at the end of a sensational move, but it wasn't enough as a Benji Marshall try with 15 minutes left ended the comeback. England wore centenary throwback jerseys (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL)
Four Nations - Group Match - Papua New Guinea (0) v (42) Australia - The Aussies showed they mean business with a comprehensive win at Parramatta Stadium. They led 26-0 at the half and coasted home to the win. Australia scored 8 tries from 7 different players ; Willie Tonga (2), Billy Slater, Brent Tate, Cooper Cronk, Brett Morris, Cameron Smith and Darren Lockyer (10, 2 Discs, BBC - French/Freeman, PAL)
Four Nations - Final - Australia (12) v (16) New Zealand - In a major upset, the Kiwis once again defied the odds and beat the hosts, scoring the winning try in the last minute. In a physical game that featured a couple of punch-ups, the teams were tied 6-6 at the half before Australia took the lead with a Billy Slater try. With time ticking down, the Kiwis went 80 yards on the final set of 6 with captain Benji Marshall pulling the strings and Nathan Fien finished the move under the posts to secure the upset and win the game. Australia also featured Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Lote Tuqiri and the Morris twins ; Brett and Josh. New Zealand also featured Lance Hohaia, Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Adam Blair (2 versions : 10, Full Game, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL / 10, 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL)
2011
ANZAC Test - New Zealand (10) @ (20) Australia - In his last test match in his home state, Darren Lockyer went out a winner. In a hard-hitting match, it was the Aussies that capitalised on Kiwi turnovers to build a big lead that they comfortably defended to the end. The Australian tries came from Billy Slater (2), Jharal Yow Yeh (on debut) and Jamal Idris (on debut). The Kiwi tries came from Matt Duffie and Lance Hohaia, who scored the try of the match with the last play of the game (10, 1 Disc, CH9 - Warren/Sterling/Gould, PAL)
Four Nations - Group Match - England (42) v (4) Wales - England opened their campaign with a big win against Wales, but needed a big 2nd half to do so. England led 14-0 at the half but scored 5 tries in the 2nd half to make the game safe. The England tries came from Sam Tomkins (4), Kirk Yeaman, Jack Reed, Chris Heighington and Gareth Widdop. The lone Wales try came from Elliot Kear. England also featured Kevin Sinfield, Gareth Ellis and Rangi Chase (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies, PAL)
Four Nations - Group Match - England (20) v (36) Australia - Australia continued their mastery over the English with a tight win at Wembley Stadium. A smouldering 1st half ended 12-8 in favour of the Aussies and they scored quickly after the break to build a 2 score advantage they defended until the end. The Australian tries came from Luke Lewis, Tony Williams, Greg Inglis, Paul Gallen, Darius Boyd and Chris Lawrence with Jonathan Thurston converting all the tries. The English tries came from Ryan Hall (2), Jack Reed and Chris Heighington. World Player of the Year Billy Slater left the game in the 1st half with a fractured shoulder. Australia also featured Darren Lockyer (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear, PAL)
Four Nations - Group Match - England (28) v (6) New Zealand - England continued their great form with a comprehensive win over the World Champions at Hull's KC stadium that booked their place in the Final. After a tight 1st half that England led 8-0, both teams opended up in the 2nd half with England finishing the game off with 2 late tries to book a place in the Final against the Aussies. The England tries came from Tom Briscoe, Ryan Hall, James Graham and Sam Tomkins. Kevin Sinfield kicked all the conversions + 2 penalties. New Zealand's lone try came from Jason Nightingale with Benji Marshall kicking the conversion (2 versions : 10, Full game, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL / 10, 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Woods/Kear, PAL)
Four Nations - Final - England (8) v (30) Australia - Hopes were high for England that they could end a 39 year wait for a victory over the Aussies in a tournament final, but the Aussies were too strong for the home side and they claimed the trophy for the first time since 2009. A tight 1st half ended with Australia ahead 8-6 but in the 2nd half Australia powered on and scored 4 more tries to take the win. The Aussie tries came from Sam Thaiday, Jharal Yow Yeh, Jonathan Thurston, Greg Inglis and Darren Lockyer. The English were awarded a penalty try. The game was the final rugby league game for Aussie captain Darren Lockyer, who left the game after making his 59th international appearance (2 versions : 10, Full Game, 1 Disc, SKY - Hemmings/Stephenson, PAL / 10, 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Woods/Kear, PAL)
2012
Tri-Nations - England (80) @ (12) Wales - England opended their campaign in Wrexham with their biggest ever margin of victory over the Welsh. The English led 26-6 at the half and coasted home, scoring 14 tries in total. The Welsh did score 2 tries but the part-timers faded badly in the 2nd half against the fitter Superleague players. The English tries came from Ryan Hall (2), Josh Charnley (4), Zak Hardaker (2), Kallum Watkins, Gareth Ellis, Rob Burrow, Leroy Cudjoe (2) and Jamie Jones-Buchanan. The Welsh tries came from Christian Roets and Dan Fleming (10, 2 Discs, BBC - French/Millward, PAL)
Tri-Nations - France (6) @ (44) England - England stayed unbeaten in the tournament with a comfortable win over the French. England led 20-0 at the half and were never threatened during the match. England scored 8 tries, with Kallum Watkins (3), Tom Briscoe (2), Sam Tomkins (2) and Kevin Sinfield all getting on the scoresheet. The lone France try came from Kane Bentley (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Millward, PAL)
Tri-Nations Final - France (4) @ (48) England - England claimed the Tri-Nations title with a big win over the French. England led 18-0 at the half but proved too strong after the break, with man-of-the-match Ryan Hall leading the way with 4 tries. The other England tries came from Sam Tomkins (2), Josh Charnley and Rob Burrow. Kevin Sinfield kicked 8 goals. The lone France try came on the last play of the game from Mathias Pala (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL)
2013
World Cup Group A - Australia (28) v (20) England - The World Cup started with a bang, as the 2 old enemies battled at the Millennium Stadium. England started fast and held an early 10-0 lead, but the Aussies roared back to score 22 unanswered points to take a lead that they would defend to the end. The Aussie tries came from Johnathan Thurston, Greg Bird, Billy Slater, Brett Morris and Darius Boyd. The England tries came from Ryan Hall, Leroy Cudjoe, George Burgess and Josh Charnley (9, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Noble, PAL)
World Cup Group A - England (42) v (0) Ireland - England shook off their 1st game defeat with a big win in Huddersfield. England led 30-0 after 24 minutes and cruised home to the win. The tries came from Ryan Hall (3), Tom Briscoe (2), Brett Ferres, Kallum Watkins and Rangi Chase with Kevin Sinfield and Gareth Widdop converting 5 of their kicks. Ireland were led by Pat Richards (9, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Noble, PAL)
World Cup Group A - England (32) v (14) Fiji - England confirmed their 2nd place in Group A with a hard-fought win over Fiji. After a tight 1st half that ended 6-6, England scored 28 unanswered points to take control and win the game. The England tries came from Ryan Hall (2), Ben Westwood, Sam Burgess, Brett Ferres and Rob Burrow. The Fiji tries came from Eloni Vunakece and Semi Radradra. Fiji also featured Petero Civoniceva (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL)
World Cup Group C/D - Wales (32) v (16) Italy - Italy opened their World Cup with a surprise win at the Millennium Stadium. Led by NRL players Aiden Guerra and Anthony Minichello, the Italians took a 14-12 lead in at the half and pulled away late in the 2nd half to take the win. The Italian tries came from Guerra (2), Josh Mantellato, James Tedesco, Chris Centrone and Mark Minichiello. The Welsh tries came from Ben Evans, Rhodri Lloyd and Elliot Kear. The game was also the final game commentated on for the BBC by Ray French, who retired after the World Cup. 1st half is taken from an internet source and is an 8 quality (9, 2 Discs, BBC - French/Davies/Noble, PAL)
World Cup Group D - Wales (16) v (24) USA - The USA, in their 1st World Cup, stunned the Welsh and knocked them out of the World Cup. The USA took an 8-4 lead in at the half and extended their advantage to 24-4 before 2 late tries by the Welsh made the score more respectable at the end of the game. The USA tries came from Clint Newton (2), Matthew Petersen, Joseph Paulo and Tuisegasega Samoa. The Welsh tries came from Christiaan Roets (2) and Anthony Walker (10, 1 Disc, Premier - Voss/Noble, PAL)
World Cup Group D - Wales (24) v (28) Cook Islands - On a memorable night in Neath for the Cook Islands, they recorded their 1st ever World Cup win with victory over the Welsh. Wales once again paid for a slow start as the Cook Islands raced out to a 16-4 lead at the half then held on late in the game as Wales mounted a comeback. The Cook Islands tries came from Keith Lulia, Isaac John, Daniel Fepuleai, Dominique Peyroux and Jonathon Ford. The Wales tries came from Rob Massam, Lloyd White, Christiaan Roets (2) and Rhodri Lloyd (10, 1 Disc, Premier - Ramsdale/Rae, PAL)
World Cup Quarter Final - Australia (62) v (0) USA - Australia booked their place in the semi-finals with a big win over a tough USA team. The Wallabies ran in 12 tries with Jarryd Hayne (4), Brett Morris (4), Greg Inglis (2), Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk all getting on the score sheet. Johnathan Thurston kicked 7 conversions. The game proved to be the final Rugby League game for the USA's Matthew Peterson who retired after the match (10, 2 Discs, Premier - Voss/Halligan/Henderson, PAL)
World Cup Quarter Final - England (34) v (6) France - England booked their place in the Semi-Final with a scrappy win over the French. England had the better of the 1st half and led 22-6 at the break but couldn't push on for the big win. The England tries came from Josh Charnley (2), Ryan Hall (2), Sean O'Loughlin and Brett Ferres. The France try came from Vincent Duport (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL)
World Cup Semi-Final - England (18) v (20) New Zealand - In a sensational finish at Wembley Stadium, New Zealand reached the final with a last play winning try and conversion. Both teams were evenly matched, tied at 8-8 at the half, but England finally hit the front after 66 minutes to lead 18-14. England held on until the final minute when New Zealand's Shaun Johnson avoided a tackle and ran in to score then he kicked the conversion for the win. The other New Zealand tries came from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2). The England tries came from Sean O'Loughlin, Kallum Watkins and Sam Burgess (2 versions : 10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL / 10, 2 Discs, Premier - Voss/Halligan/Edwards, PAL)
World Cup Semi-Final - Australia (64) v (0) Fiji - Australia cruised through their semi-final at Wembley to book a place in the final. The Wallabies scored 11 tries, building on a 34-0 lead at the half and coasting home. The tries came from Johnathan Thurston, Darius Boyd (2), Cooper Cronk, Jarryd Hayne (3), Josh Papalii, James Tamou, Brett Morris and Andrew Fifita. The game proved to be the final Rugby League game for Fijian Petero Civoniceva who retired after the match (10, 2 Discs, Premier - Voss/Halligan/Henderson, PAL)
World Cup Final - Australia (34) v (2) New Zealand - Australia re-claimed the World Cup trophy with a big win over their big rivals from New Zealand. The Wallabies dominated the game in all phases and took a 16-2 lead in at the half which they comfortably defended to the end. The Australian tries came from Billy Slater (2), Cooper Cronk and Brett Morris (2) with man-of-the-match Johnathan Thurston adding 14 points to become the leading international points scorer of all time (2 versions : 10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Davies, PAL / 10, 2 Discs, Premier - Voss/Halligan/Henderson, PAL)
2014
Four Nations - England (32) v (26) Samoa - England opened the tournament with a hard-fought win at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. In a very physical game, England took a 14-10 lead in at the half then survived a furious 2nd half effort from the Samoans to claim the win. The England tries came from Michael Shenton, Kallum Watkins, Liam Farrell, Joel Tomkins and Sam Tomkins with Gareth Widdop adding all the conversions. The Samoan tries came from the Isaac Liu, Daniel Vidot, Pita Godinet (2) and Antonio Winterstein (10, Audio slightly ahead of video, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
Four Nations - England (12) v (16) Australia - In an explosive game in Melbourne, the Aussies staged a 2nd half comeback to beat the old enemy. England, whose last win against their opponents came back in 1995, led 12-4 at the interval and were in control of the match but were left scoreless in the second period as the Aussies scored 3 tries to take the lead. England thought they had claimed the win with a sensational last minute try but it was ruled out by the video referee and Australia held on for the win. The Australian tries came from Michael Jennings, Greg Inglis and Ben Hunt. The England tries came from Kallum Watkins and Ryan Hall. Both side wore commemorative kits from 1914 (10, 15 minutes in the middle of the 1st half taken from a re-broadcast due to transmission failure, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
Four Nations - England (14) v (16) New Zealand - New Zealand knocked England out of the competition and booked their own place in the Final with a strong win in Dunedin. The home team led 12-8 at the half and extended their lead early in the 2nd half with another try and that proved to be the game-winner. The New Zealand tries came from Jason Nightingale (2) and Manu Vatuvei. The England tries came from Ryan Hall (2) and Josh Charnley (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
Four Nations - Final - Australia (18) v (22) New Zealand - In their home stadium in Wellington, New Zealand claimed their 2nd Four Nations title with a tight win over their big rivals. A back-and-forth game was settled by the brilliance of man-of-the-match Shaun Johnson, who scored the winning try and kicked 3 conversions. The Kiwis other tries came from Jason Nightingale and Manu Vatuvei. The Australian tries came from Michael Jennings, Sione Mata'utia and Ben Hunt with Cameron Smith kicking 3 conversions (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
2015
1st Test - New Zealand (12) @ (26) England - With a come-from-behind win against the World's #1 team, England ended a run of heart-breaking losses to the Kiwis. New Zealand took an early 10-0 lead before England fought back to tie the game at 12-12 at the half. The 2nd half belonged to England as they racked up 14 unanswered points to take the win. The England tries came from Brett Ferres (2), Josh Hodgson and Sean O'Loughlin with Gareth Widdop kicking 4 conversions and a penalty. The New Zealand tries came from Tohu Harris and Sam Moa (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Kear, PAL)
2nd Test - New Zealand (9) @ (2) England - New Zealand tied the series with a hard-hitting defensive game at the Olympic Stadium in London. England opened the scoring with a 7th minute penalty but the Kiwis responded with a penalty of their own to level the game 2-2 at the half. The Kiwis then took the lead straight from the re-start with a try form Kenny Dowall and finished off the game with a late drop-goal to take the win. England struggled with their attacking game as turnovers and penalties denied them a platform to create tries. All of England's points came from Gareth Widdop (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Davies, PAL)
3rd Test - New Zealand (14) @ (20) England - At a wet and windy DW Stadium in Wigan, England claimed their 1st series win since 2007 with a strong showing against the #1 team in the World. After a tight 1st half that England led 8-6, the home team forged ahead in the 2nd half and built a 20-6 lead with 9 minutes to go. The Kiwis fought back with 2 straight tries to make for a nervy finish, but the English held on for a famous victory. The England tries came from Elliott Whitehead (2) and Sean O'Loughlin with Gareth Widdop kicking a penalty and 3 conversions. The New Zealand tries came from Jason Nightingale, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Jordan Kahu. Coverage includes the Red Button Forum after the game (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Kear, PAL)
2016
Four Nations - England (16) v (17) New Zealand - In their opening match of the tournament in Huddersfield, hosts England lost to the Kiwis. England paid for poor finishing as they squandered a good start to go in 6-4 down at the half. Both teams were even in the 2nd half but the game was settled in the 66th minute when Shaun Johnson kicked a drop goal to break a 16-16 tie and the Kiwis held on to take the win. The New Zealand tries came from Jordan Rapana (2) and Shaun Johnson. The England tries came from Jermaine McGillvary and Ryan Hall with Gareth Widdop adding 2 conversions (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Harris, PAL)
Four Nations - England (38) v (12) Scotland - At the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, England recovered from an awful start to win their first ever meeting with Scotland and kept their hopes of reaching the Four Nations final alive. Scotland dominated the early part of the game and held an early 8-0 lead and only trailed 12-8 at the half. But England re-grouped in the 2nd half and reeled off 20 unanswered points to finally beat the Scots and take the much-needed win. The England tries came from Elliott Whitehead (2), Mark Percival, Ryan Hall, Jermaine McGillvary, Luke Gale and Liam Farrell. The Scotland tries came from Kane Linnett, Matty Russell and Dale Ferguson (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear, PAL)
Four Nations - Australia (14) v (8) New Zealand - Australia won their 2nd game in the tournament with a tight win over the current champions at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Australia dominated the game, running out to a 10-0 lead at the half, but had to survive a spirited 2nd half fight-back by the Kiwis to secure the win. The Australia tries came from Blake Ferguson and Johnathan Thurston. The New Zealand tries came from Solomone Kata and Jordan Rapana (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear/Hunter-Paul, PAL)
Four Nations - Australia (36) v (18) England - Australia booked their place in the Four Nations Final with a clinical display of rugby at the Olympic Stadium in London. England started well but couldn't convert their chances when they came, and only held a 6-2 lead after 30 minutes. The Aussies then turned on the pressure and scored 26 unanswered points to pull away, building too big a gap for England to close. Both teams exchanged tries in the final 20 minutes but Australia held on for the victory. The Australia tries came from Blake Ferguson, Greg Inglis, Matt Scott, Josh Dugan, Matt Gillett and Valentine Holmes. The England tries came from Jermaine McGillvary, Gareth Widdop and Ryan Hall (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear/Davies, PAL)
Four Nations - Final - Australia (34) v (8) New Zealand - Australia re-claimed the Four Nations title with a dominating display at Anfield. The Aussies dominated the 1st half and took a 24-0 lead in at the break and cruised home in the 2nd half to take the win. With the victory the Kangaroos reclaimed the world number one ranking. The Australia tries came from Blake Ferguson, Josh Dugan (2), Trent Merrin, Darius Boyd and Boyd Cordner with Johnathan Thurston adding 5 conversions. Both of the Kiwis tries came from Jordan Kahu (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear/Davies, PAL)
2017
World Cup Pool A - Australia (18) v (4) England - Australia continued their hex over England with a tight win over the Poms in Melbourne. England started the better, scoring after 4 minutes but Australia piled on the pressure and went in at the half with a 10-4 lead. England pressed in the 2nd half but the Aussie Defense held firm. The game was settled in the final 6 minutes when Cameron Smith kicked a penalty and then Josh Dugan went 80 metres with an intercepted pass in the final minute to clinch the win. The other Australia tries came from Matt Gillett and Billy Slater. The England try came from Jermaine McGillvary (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
World Cup Pool A - England (29) v (10) Lebanon - England overcame their opening game loss to Australia with a comfortable win against a game Lebanon team in Sydney. England led 22-6 at half-time, and despite better play from Lebanon in the 2nd half, great English Defense saw them through to the win. The England tries came from Kallum Watkins, Jermaine McGillvary, Ryan Hall, Ben Currie and Thomas Burgess. The Lebanon tries came from Nick Kassis and Jason Wehbe. Lebanon also featured captain Robbie Farah, Mitchell Moses and Tim Mannah (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
World Cup Pool A - England (36) v (6) France - England consolidated 2nd place in Pool A with a comfortable win over France. England ended the game as a contest after only 9 minutes by scoring 3 quick tries, but a series of handling errors and poor decision making in attack kept England from a more dominating performance. The England tries came from Gareth Widdop, Stefan Ratchford, James Graham, Mark Percival, John Bateman, Jermaine McGillvary (2). The France try came from Benjamin Garcia (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
World Cup Quarter Final - England (36) v (6) Papua New Guinea - In a hard-hitting game in Melbourne, England dominated PNG on both sides of the ball to win the game and book a place in the Semi-Final. England ran out to a 20-0 lead at the half and finished off PNG with 4 more tries in the 2nd half, despite sloppy play and only a 56% set completion rate. The England tries came from Jermaine McGillvary (2), Alex Walmsley, Ben Currie, Kallum Watkins (2) and Ryan Hall. The PNG try came from Garry Lo (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
World Cup Semi-Final - England (20) v (18) Tonga - In a sensational game in Auckland, England survived a frantic final 7 minutes from Tonga to reach their first World Cup final since 1995. England dominated the game for 73 minutes and held a 20-0 lead with the game winding down. But Tonga suddenly found some energy and scored 3 converted tries to pull within 2 points. One final attack by the Tongans looked certain to be the game-winner, but 5 metres from the line an England player stripped the ball and the Referee blew his whistle for the end of the game, confirming England's win. The England tries came from Jermaine McGillvary, Gareth Widdop and John Bateman with Widdop adding 3 conversions and a Penalty. The Tonga tries came from Tevita Pangai Junior, Siliva Havili and Tuimoala Lolohea (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Morgan, PAL)
World Cup Final - Australia (6) v (0) England - Australia confirmed their position as the number 1 team in the World, retaining the World Cup at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. In a brutal, physical and tense final, Australia scored a try in the 1st half then used great Defense to keep England out the rest of the way. Both teams were evenly matched, with England superb in Defense themselves, but their inability to take their chances proved costly as the Aussies held on in the final minutes to win the trophy. The Australia try came from Boyd Cordner. The game proved the final international match for Australians Billy Slater and Copper Cronk (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble/Millward, PAL)
2018
Friendly - England (38) v (16) New Zealand - In a very physical game at Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colorado, England fought back from an early deficit to beat the Kiwis. The mid-season game was being played to promote the sport in the USA and neither team held back despite the fact it was a friendly. The Kiwis raced out to an early 12-0 lead but England replied with 32 unanswered points to break open the game and ease away with the win. The England tries came from Ryan Hall, Elliott Whitehead (2), Jake Connor, Tommy Makinson and John Bateman. The New Zealand tries came from Esan Marsters and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (2) (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Kear/Noble, PAL)
1st Test - New Zealand (16) @ (18) England - England's 3-match series against New Zealand got off to an winning start with a tense 18-16 victory at the KCom Stadium in Hull. Both teams were evenly matched and went in at the break tied at 12-12. After 2 New Zealand penalties gave them a 4 point lead in the 2nd half, England responded with a sensational match-winning try in the 66th minute when Oliver Gildart, on debut, ran in a try from 60 metres out. England held on in the final minutes and celebrated a series opening win. The other England tries came from Sam Tomkins and Jake Connor. The New Zealand tries came from Esan Marsters and the Kiwi captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Hunter-Paul, PAL)
2nd Test - New Zealand (14) @ (20) England - England won their 3 match series against New Zealand with a sensational win at Anfield, as Man-of-the-Match Tommy Makinson scored a hat-trick of tries to beat the Kiwi's. Both teams were tied 6-6 at the half but the Kiwi's took the advantage at the start of the 2nd half with 8 unanswered points. England responded with 3 unanswered tries of their own though, with 2 of them from Makinson, to clinch the win and the series. England's other try came from Jake Connor. The New Zealand tries came from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Ken Maumalo (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Kear, PAL)
3rd Test - New Zealand (34) @ (0) England - Despite having lost the series, New Zealand restored their pride with a big win against England at Elland Road. The Kiwi's decided to go with more off-loads and a quicker pace and it paid dividends as they survived early England pressure to go in 18-0 at the half. England faded in the 2nd half and New Zealand wrapped up the win with 3 more tries to end the series on a high. The New Zealand tries came from Ken Maumalo (2), Isaac Liu, Jesse Bromwich, Joseph Tapine and Man-of-the-Match Kodi Nikorima. England were missing Sam Tomkins and Daryl Clark to injury (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Davies/Noble, PAL)
2019
Friendly - Great Britain (6) v (14) Tonga Invitational XIII - Great Britain's first game for 12 years ended in defeat as they lost a hard-hitting match to a Tonga Invitational XIII in Hamilton, New Zealand. The crowd was very pro-Tonga and they urged their team on to a 12-0 lead at the break. A penalty after the break extended their lead and, despite a late GB try, the Tongans used a great Defensive effort to see out the game and take the win. The Tongan tries came from Michael Jennings and Sione Katoa with Suo Siua Taukeiaho adding 6 points with the boot. The Great Britain try came from John Bateman. Tonga also featured Tui Lolohea and Jason Taumalolo. Great Britain also featured Lachlan Coote, Jackson Hastings and captain James Graham (9, 2 Discs, BBC - Woods/Noble, PAL)