Aussies whip Scots in Four Nation opener
london — James Maloney produced an assured performance on his Test debut scoring 18 points as Australia cruised to a 54-12 hammering of minnows Scotland in the Four Nations opener on Friday.
Fly-half Maloney — one of five players given their debuts by Aussie legend Mal Meninga — scored one of the 10 tries for the Australians who never gave their opponents any hope of becoming the first debutant at the tournament to secure a win since it expanded to four teams in 2009.
The Scots, captained by Danny Brough who equalled Andrew Henderson’s national record of 21 caps, did manage two tries of their own.
Brough, 33, was instrumental in both — a grubber kick setting up Ryan Brierley just before the break and then a storming 50 metre solo run sparked a try for Ben Kavanagh with the skipper converting both.
The match was also notable for Super League referee Jack Smith officiating at his first ever Test match — he was one of the
It helps me, especially on weekends when it’s a high-pressure scenario
Jack Smith, match refree
linesmen — six years after the then Royal Marine was seriously wounded by a Taliban sniper while serving in Afghanistan.
The bullet passed through his lower back, breaking ribs, hitting his liver, gall bladder, spleen, diaphragm and right lung before exiting his upper chest.
Having narrowly avoided death he says his training as a Royal Marine has its benefits when it comes to his new career.
“It helps me, especially on weekends when it’s a high-pressure scenario or situation where someone might crumble or people might react differently,” he told the BBC.
The other two teams in the tournament — England, coached by Wayne Bennett who lost out to Meninga for the Australian post, and New Zealand play at Huddersfield on Saturday. —