RLWC live updates: Two Roos stars score hat-tricks as Aussies win big

The Kangaroos have run out 66-6 winners in their final pool game of the tournament.

Jack Bostock and Tom Trbojevic both scored hat-tricks and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui bagged a double.

Tom Trbojevic and Jack Bostock now both have hat-tricks and, frankly, it is getting ugly in Townsville.

The Kangaroos are thumping the Cook Islands 60-6, and we’ve still got 15 minutes to go.

Question: will the Aussies end up with a higher total in the league than they do in the cricket?

Over in Cape Town, the Aussies are 7-60 chasing 288.

Grim.

The post-mortem will be savage.

Our trusty London-based scribe Lachie Harper has you covered in our cricket blog.

The Aussies are running amok in the opening minutes of the second half.

Only seven minutes have passed but the Kangaroos have already piled another two tries.

Jack Bostock scored the first when he iced a slick chain of left-edge passes involving Cameron Munster, Reece Walsh and Bradman Best.

Walsh then carved up the Cook Islands on the other side of the field and linked up with Tom Trbojevic.

Bostock and Trbojevic both have doubles, and the Kangaroos are leading 38-6.

The Kangaroos have taken a 28-6 lead into half-time in Townsville.

Jack Bostock crossed after only two minutes, and although the Cook Islands hit back quickly and even pinched the lead, Australia responded with four consecutive tries.

Tom Trbojevic, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Kotoni Staggs and Reece Walsh all went over.

Dearden is having a top game. The local hero has made a line break and set up two tries.

Let’s keep an eye on Reece Walsh.

Seven’s Jelisa Apps noted that the Kangaroos fullback was grabbing his foot – and he’s now passed the conversion duties to Cameron Munster.

That’s a fifth try for Australia and it belongs to Reece Walsh.

Jacob Preston makes another big line break – this time from Australia’s half of the field – before drawing fullback Valentine Holme and passing to the Broncos phenom.

Cameron Munster takes the conversion attempt this time and makes no mistake, extending the Kangaroos’ lead to 28-6.

Tom Dearden, take a bow.

The Kangaroos halfback just threw a cracker of a ball to set up a try for Kotoni Staggs on the right edge.

Dearden darted onto the ball at first receiver 10 metres out, noted that a couple of Cook Islands defenders were rushing up and in, and made them pay by hitting an unmarked Staggs with a 20-metre bullet.

He cut out none other than Reece Walsh as he delivered the ball.

Back-rower Jacob Preston had taken an outstanding carry on the previous tackle, breaking through the defensive line and carving out 30 metres.

The Kangaroos are up 22-6 in the 28th minute.

The Aussies have run in two tries in quick succession after temporarily having their pants pulled down by the Cook Islands.

In the 18th minute, Tom Dearden broke through the Cook Islands’ defence on the right edge 20 metres out and found an unmarked Tom Trbojevic on his outside.

And just three minutes later, Trbojevic came bounding in off his wing and linked with Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who crashed over to the right of the posts.

The Kangaroos are up 16-6.

The Cook Islands have stolen the lead in Townsville after hooker Rua Ngatikaura burrowed over from dummy-half – putting the Aitu supporters in raptures.

Ngatikaura scooped up the ball a couple of metres out, dummied, and brushed through Patrick Carrigan and Liam Martin to score in the ninth minute.

The Cook Islands’ best player, former Queensland State of Origin ace Valentine Holmes, then converted to give the underdogs a 6-4 lead.

Only two minutes have passed but Australia is already on the board.

Jack Bostock has gone over on the left wing to jag the opening points.

Reece Walsh pumped, and then through a soaring cut-out ball, to put the Dolphins flyer over.

But Walsh then hooked his conversion attempt, missing to the right.