Josh Addo-Carr led Australia’s charge towards a third-straight Rugby League World Cup title, scoring five tries as the Kangaroos downed Lebanon 48-4.
Lebanon proved to be little more than a roadbump for the Kangaroos who set up a semi-final with the winner of the quarter-final between New Zealand and Fiji next week at Elland Road, Leeds.
Australia expect to be back to full complement after prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard and hooker Ben Hunt sat out Friday’s game at Huddersfield in front of 8,206 fans.
Captain James Tedesco was taken off with an ongoing knee issue at half-time, but there are no doubts over his availability ahead of next week’s semi-finals.
It was a disappointing end to the Cedars’ campaign as they struggled to find a spark on a chilly autumn night.
Michael Cheika’s side has been one of the competition’s most daring and their willingness to play with risk endeared them to local fans.
But when they needed to play with abandon to disrupt the Kangaroos, the Lebanese put their tricks away and Australia were only too willing to take advantage.
Lebanon’s qualification has been assured for the 2025 tournament in France and they made sure they didn’t go home empty handed with Josh Mansour scoring in the 51st minute.
Addo-Carr was the star of the show, however, grabbing a hat-trick after less than 20 minutes.
The pick of them came when Cameron Munster pulled off a ball steal on Lebanon fullback Jacob Kiraz before passing on for Addo-Carr to finish in the corner.
Latrell Mitchell was next to barge over the line and before half-time interchange forward Cameron Murray had scored two crash-over tries to put the Aussies 30-0 up.
Tedesco was taken off, Munster shifted to fullback and Daly Cherry-Evans played at five-eighth alongside Nathan Cleary.
Addo-Carr added a fourth soon after the break but the biggest cheer of the night came when Lebanon scored through Mansour, the South Sydney winger diving on a Mitchell Moses grubberkick to the in-goal.
Mansour played for Australia in this same fixture at this tournament five years ago and it was to be the only thing the Lebanese had to cheer about in what was a fairly lopsided contest.
Normal service was resumed not long after with Addo-Carr scoring his fifth and Liam Martin crashing over to wrap up a dominant Australian victory.
