Australia thump Scotland 84-0 and reach RLWC quarterfinals

COVENTRY, England (AP) — Defending champion Australia was first through to the Rugby League World Cup quarterfinals after blowing away Scotland 84-0 on Friday.

Australia's second win from two matches featured 15 tries, a dozen of them converted by Nathan Cleary.

Wings Josh Addo-Carr and Campbell Graham shared seven tries, as Australia posted its second biggest World Cup win, behind only a 110-4 result against Russia in 2000 in Hull.

“There have been some great Kangaroos sides. We are a young team, first time together, and we want to create our own destiny,” Addo-Carr said. "When everyone does their job it makes your job easy. All I have to do is catch a ball and run fast.”

Addo-Carr scored the first try from a lob by Cleary, who conducted play with aplomb. Penrith's grand final-winning captain and his Panthers teammates Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin made their debuts. There were also first appearances for Graham, who could have played for Scotland, Matt Burton and Lindsay Collins.

By halftime, it was 40-0.

Jack Wighton had a pair of tries, Graham was on the board, Addo-Carr had his second after starting on his knees, and Angus Crichton and Cleary were also in.

“It's good fun,” Cleary said in halftime comments.

Within a minute of the restart, captain James Tedesco was over. He was followed by Hunt, Addo-Carr's third, Burton, and Graham completing his hat trick. Burton threw a one-handed pass through his legs for Addo-Carr to streak away and complete the Kangaroos' 14th successive World Cup win, tying their own record from 1995 to 2008.

“The most pleasing thing was keeping them to nil,” Graham said. "I could not have asked for a better debut in my mum's home town.”

Australia wore black armbands in memory of countryman Liam Hampson, a Redcliffe Dolphins player who died this week from an apparent accidental fall in Spain.

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