1995 Rugby League World Cup

England as expected defeated reigning European Champions Wales in their semi-final at Old Trafford. The other Semi at Huddersfield almost produced a boil over. After defeating New Zealand 3–0 in the Trans-Tasman Test series earlier in the year, and with the Kiwis lackluster form in their Group B games, Australia was expected to easily account for Frank Endacott's side, but the Kiwis found form and the game ended 20–all at the end of 80 minutes (following a missed sideline conversion attempt by the Kiwis Matthew Ridge and a missed left foot drop goal attempt by the same player - both in the last few minutes of regular time). However, 20 minutes of extra time saw Australia skip away to a 30–20 win to book their place in the Final at Wembley.

21 October

England	25–10[22]	Wales
Tries: Offiah (2), Newlove, Betts, Clarke Goals: Farrell, Goulding Drop goals: Goulding		Tries: Phillips Goals: Davies (3)

Old Trafford, Manchester Attendance: 30,042 Referee: Eddie Ward (Australia) Player of the Match: Bobbie Goulding (England)

22 October

Australia	30–20 (AET)[23]	New Zealand
Tries: Menzies (2), Brasher, Coyne, Hill, Fittler Goals: A. Johns (3)		Tries: Barnett, T. Iro, K. Iro Goals: Ridge (4)

Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield Attendance: 16,608 Referee: Russell Smith (England) Player of the Match: Brad Fittler (Australia)

The Australians had reached the final after a hard-fought 30–20 Semi-final win over New Zealand at the McAlpine Stadium which had gone into extra time after the score was locked at 20-all after 80 minutes. Their opponents and tournament host England, had an easier time defeating Wales 25–10 in their semi at Old Trafford.[24] Even though they were favoured to win, Australia went into the final having lost three of their past four games at Wembley (the only win being the World Cup final of 1992), and had already lost the opening match of the tournament there to the English. Also, due to the ARL's policy of not selecting Super League aligned players, the Kangaroos went into the game with 11 of their 17 players under the age of 24. Although considered mostly a 'second string' team without the likes of Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart, Andrew Ettingshausen, Steve Renouf, Steve Walters and Glenn Lazarus, most of the Kangaroos had played in the 3–0 whitewash of New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman series earlier in the year.[25] Kangaroos captain and five-eighth Brad Fittler and fullback Tim Brasher were the only members of Australia's 1992 World Cup final win over Great Britain at Wembley,[8] with both players in the same positions as they had been three years previously.

England's captain Shaun Edwards ruled himself out of the final with an infected knee.[26] Despite almost being ruled out of the tournament with pneumonia, St Helens centre Paul Newlove was selected by coach Phil Larder for starting line-up in the final. Larder also handed the captaincy to veteran test forward Denis Betts. With the former Wigan back rower now playing for the Auckland Warriors in the Australian premiership, his selection as captain created history as he became the first player to captain England while not currently playing in the British competition.[27]

After winning in 1992, Australian coach Bob Fulton became just the second coach (after Harry Bath) to win two Rugby League World Cups. It was Fulton's 5th World Cup win after also winning in 1968, 1970 and 1975 as a player. Coincidentally, Fulton's coach in the 1968 and 1970 World Cup finals was Harry Bath.

Status Quo performed the pre-match entertainment, performing When You Walk in the Room and Rockin' All Over the World.

28 October 1995 14:30

England	8–16	Australia
Tries: Paul Newlove Goals: Bobby Goulding (2/3)	[28]	Tries: Rod Wishart Tim Brasher Goals: Andrew Johns (4/6)

Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 66,540 Referee: Stuart Cummings (England) Player of the Match: Andrew Johns (Australia)

England

Australia

FB 1 Kris Radlinski RW 2 Jason Robinson RC 3 Gary Connolly LC 4 Paul Newlove LW 5 Martin Offiah SO 6 Tony Smith SH 7 Bobbie Goulding PR 8 Karl Harrison HK 9 Lee Jackson PR 10 Andy Platt SR 11 Denis Betts (c) SR 12 Phil Clarke LF 13 Andy Farrell Substitutions: IC 14 Barrie-Jon Mather IC 15 Mick Cassidy IC 16 Nick Pinkney IC 17 Chris Joynt Coach: Phil Larder

FB 1 Tim Brasher LW 2 Rod Wishart RC 3 Mark Coyne LC 4 Terry Hill RW 5 Brett Dallas FE 6 Brad Fittler (c) HB 7 Geoff Toovey PR 8 Dean Pay HK 9 Andrew Johns PR 10 Mark Carroll SR 11 Steve Menzies SR 12 Gary Larson LK 13 Jim Dymock Substitutions: IC 14 Robbie O'Davis IC 15 Matthew Johns IC 16 Jason Smith IC 17 Nik Kosef Coach: Bob Fulton

First half

England won the coin toss and Australia's Andrew Johns kicked off the match. In England's first set with the ball Australia were penalised for their skipper Brad Fittler's high tackle on Andrew Farrell. From the resulting good field position England were able to force a line drop-out and get another set of six in Australia's half of the field. At the end of the set, Radlinski put up a high kick, which Australia's fullback Tim Brasher failed to secure and Australia were penalised for regathering the ball when off-side. Bobbie Goulding kicked the penalty goal from fifteen metres out, giving his side a 2–0 lead.[29] From Australia's resulting kick-off, the English players couldn't secure the ball and it was regathered by the Kangaroos deep in the opposition half. On the last tackle of the ensuing set, Johns at first receiver put a chip kick into the left-hand corner of England's in-goal area where winger Rod Wishart dived in and got a hand on it,[30] giving Australia the first try of the match in the seventh minute.[31] Johns then converted the try from the touch-line and the Kangaroos were leading 6–2.[32] A few minutes later England were penalised around the centre of the field and Johns attempted the kick at goal but missed. With the game now swinging from end to end, Johns conceded a penalty close to the goal posts and Goulding's kick bounced off the uprights but went in,[29] so England were trailing 6–4 by the eighteenth minute. A few minutes later England conceded a penalty in front of their goal posts and Johns kicked Australia to an 8–4 lead. Shortly after that England winger Martin Offiah made a break down along the left sideline and was contentiously ruled to have been taken over the sideline by a desperate Tim Brasher tackle as he threw the ball back into the field for Paul Newlove to toe ahead and dive on, though television replays suggested that Offiah had managed to release the ball before he went into touch.[24] After a high shot from Andy Farrell on Mark Carroll, Johns kicked another penalty giving Australia a 10–4 lead at the 30-minute mark. Just before the half-time break England conceded another penalty in the ruck but Johns' kick missed so the score remained unchanged at the break.[33]

Second half

After making their way into good attacking field position, England played the ball ten metres out from Australia's goal-line where centre Paul Newlove at dummy-half ran the ball at the defence forced his way through to score in the left corner.[34] The sideline conversion attempt by Goulding missed so England trailed 10–8 after five minutes of the second half.[24] Around the ten-minute mark the game was interrupted by a topless female streaker.[35] The play continued swinging from one end of the field to the other, with neither team able to capitalise on their scoring opportunities for the next twenty minutes. Australian interchange player Jason Smith was blood binned and had to return to the bench. A few minutes later the Kangaroos had made their way deep into England's half when, on the last tackle, the ball was moved through the hands and eventually flicked passed back from Johns as he was being tackled to the feet of Brasher who kicked it ahead to the try-line.[34] Both fullbacks then scrambled to get to the ball and the referee ruled that Brasher had grounded it, awarding Australia a try.[24] Johns converted the try so Australia lead 16–8 with just over 10 minutes remaining. England forward Karl Harrison then had to come off the field with an injured arm. A few minutes from full-time Australian forward Mark Carroll was sent to the sin-bin for an infringement in the ruck. The remainder of the match extended into additional injury time but was played with no further points so Australia retained the World Cup with an 16–8 victory and their fifth consecutive world title.

21-year-old Andrew Johns was named man-of-the-match.[36] Kangaroos coach Bob Fulton had named the young half as the team hooker, and he did indeed pack into the scrums. However Johns played at halfback in general play with Geoff Toovey having the dummy-half duties, necessary because Toovey had actually injured his neck during the tournament and simply could not pack into the front row in the scrums.[6]

Following the match Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex presented Kangaroos captain Brad Fittler with the Cup and each of the players with medals.[8][33] During the 1990 Kangaroo Tour, an 18-year-old Fittler had reportedly broken protocol when he had said "G'day dude" to Prince Edward's father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh when the team had met the Duke as part of the tour. History allegedly repeated itself as Fittler was heard to say "Thanks dude" to Prince Edward when receiving the World Cup on the Wembley balcony.