Rugby League World Cup: Crushing New Zealand win leaves Ireland facing exit

Ronaldo Mulitalo's flying dive into the country was 1 of the tries of the night

New Zealand cruised to a 48-10 triumph to permission a forlorn Ireland facing a group-stage exit from the World Cup.

New Zealand scored a full of 10 tries, with Jahrome Hughes, Jordan Rapana and Peta Hiku each going implicit twice.

Louis Senior grabbed 2 opportunistic tries for Ireland, but they fell to decision against a classy Kiwis side.

Ronaldo Mulitalo, James Fisher-Harris, Kenny Bromwich and Joseph Manu were besides connected the scoresheet for New Zealand.

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Michael Maguire's men decorativeness apical of Group C with a 100% winning grounds and person amassed 150 points from their 3 games.

They volition look the runner-up of Group B - apt to beryllium Fiji oregon Italy - successful the quarter-finals, with that lucifer taking spot successful Hull adjacent Saturday (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

How Group C present looks...

Kiwis beryllium excessively good

Ireland's run started brightly with an expected triumph implicit tourney debutants Jamaica, but an error-ridden and ill-disciplined decision against Lebanon looks to person proved highly costly.

Ged Corcoran's men present necessitate the Reggae Warriors - bottommost of the radical with 2 losses and a -108 points quality - to assertion what would beryllium a immense astonishment implicit Lebanon, who volition advancement by avoiding defeat.

In the archetypal planetary gathering betwixt the 2 sides, Ireland's situation astatine Headingley was to decision a New Zealand outfit ranked fig 1 successful the satellite - and which had won their past 5 matches.

Chamberlain's 40-metre punishment gave them a imagination start, but hopes of a sensational daze rapidly disappeared arsenic the fantabulous Hughes jinked done a fig of challenges to interaction down.

Rapana past recovered acres of abstraction down the close helping for an casual decorativeness from Hughes' kick, portion Hiku went successful doubly successful betwixt Senior's superb intercepted effort, moving wide from 30-metres retired to cross.

That Ireland effort was greeted with a immense roar from supporters packed into the South Stand, but it was their loudest cheer connected a disappointing night.

Cronulla winger Mulitalo's flying dive into the country was a stunning amusement of athleticism and gave the Kiwis a deserved 24-6 half-time advantage.

Rapana sneaked successful astatine the commencement of the 2nd half, portion Fisher-Harris broke done from a abbreviated walk and Hughes got his 2nd of the crippled courtesy of a sublime dummy.

There was much symptom for Ireland erstwhile Kenny Bromwich reacted quickest to Chamberlain's fumble and, though Senior got a second, Manu's bursting tally allowed New Zealand to assertion a grounds sixth consecutive planetary victory.