NORWAY ran in 15 tries in thrashing CZECHIA 86-6 in Oslo in the opening game of the men’s European Championship.
Prop Nils Kristian Holte posted four tries in the D section encounter and scrum-half Jymaal Mellor-King claimed a hat trick and kicked two goals.
Coach Isaac Schmidt said: “Czechia came with strong intent, and it was a good arm-wrestle early on. They were very physical with a lot of size and we just had to weather the storm. Then we moved the ball around well and made good use of our opportunities.”
GREECE survived a late surge by Poland to win 38-34 in their international in Sydney with the help of two first-half tries by player-of-the-match Jake Kambos.
The game was played in hot conditions, with the outcome in doubt to the end.
Greece coach Jim Pizanias said: “Both nations showcased a high skill level. We only had four training sessions to get to know each other, and I thought we did well.
“It was a very entertaining game with both teams coming from behind at different stages and we just held them off in the end.”
Jett Cleary – brother of Nathan – kicked six goals on debut for UKRAINE as they beat NETHERLANDS 56-12 in Upen.
Davyd Zazimko scored a hat-trick of tries while Jonah Ngaronoa touched down twice.
Ukraine coach Dan Beardshaw said: “That was a very good victory for us. Our young players really stepped up and played some outstanding rugby league.”
NIGERIA began their preparations for the upcoming IRL Women’s World Series with a 40-0 over GHANA in the first of the matches between the sides, both at Alaro City, Lagos.
Loose-forward Faustina Akeje, of Canterbury Bulldogs, and interchange forward Lauretta Bayere, from Lagos Bulls, each scored two second-half tries.
Nigeria won the second fixture 24-8, with Akeje and Bayere both scoring further tries, and coach Luke Shearman said the matches helped ready his charges for the World Series in Canada (the Green Falcons face Ireland at Brampton on Tuesday, October 21.
The winners will face the victors of the Canada-Fiji semi-final in a showdown on Sunday 26 for the final berth at next year’s World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
“This is a strong reflection of how far we’ve come in a short period of time,” said Shearman.
“While we made several errors, the team showed great resilience and commitment, and it was rewarding to see the hard work translate onto the field.
“There’s still plenty to improve, but it’s been a valuable experience and an important step forward.”
Jacqueline Ansah scored Ghana’s only try of the two matches, and coach Riddick Alibah is confident his side can improve, saying: “The ladies did well – they played with heart and commitment. We’ll take the lessons and build on them.