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Cameron Smith delighted as Valentine Holmes makes it 11 tries in two games to send Australia into World Cup final

Holmes has touched down 12 times in total in the tournament: Getty
Holmes has touched down 12 times in total in the tournament: Getty

Australia captain Cameron Smith is delighted with his side's serene progress into the World Cup final.

The Kangaroos were largely unconvincing in the group stages but began to hit their straps with a 46-0 quarter-final win over Samoa in Darwin and followed that up with an even more impressive 54-6 rout of Fiji in Friday's first semi-final in Brisbane.

"In our first three matches we had a different line-up every time and it was always going to be a bit clunky for us," said Smith, who kicked seven goals in his record-breaking 16th World Cup appearance.

Billy Slater touched down twice for the Kangaroos (Getty)
Billy Slater touched down twice for the Kangaroos (Getty)

"We've found bit of continuity now over the last two weeks. There were still a couple of patches in the game where we lost our way a little bit but our completion rates are good and the defence is going good.

"I was really pleased with the effort, we just need to continue that next week. Really we've just got to throw the ball to Valentine Holmes, that's 11 tries in two matches now, isn't it?"

Holmes, the 22-year-old Cronulla winger or full-back, followed up his five-try haul against Samoa with six to equal the Test match record set by New Zealand's Hugh McGahan in 1983.

Holmes is the tournament's top scorer (Getty)
Holmes is the tournament's top scorer (Getty)

Holmes said: "Big credit has to go to this team. I'm loving this World Cup and very happy to make the final. We didn't start the game too well but we came good."

Veteran full-back Billy Slater touched down twice to take his total in World Cup tournaments to 16 and pull two clear of his former team-mate Jarryd Hayne, who had an ineffective game for Fiji, while Australia's other winger, Dane Gagai, also grabbed a brace.

The Kangaroos will go into the final at Suncorp Stadium on the back of 12 World Cup wins in a row as they await the winners of Saturday's second semi-final between England and Tonga.

Fiji had failed to score in either of the two previous semi-finals against Australia but scrum-half Api Koroisau at least prevented a hat-trick of whitewashes by kicking a seventh-minute penalty to give his side the lead.

The Kangaroos are into the final (Getty)
The Kangaroos are into the final (Getty)

Sadly for the romantics, that was as good as it got for Mick Potter's men who had kept New Zealand try-less in the quarter-final but leaked 10 tries to the rampant Kangaroos, who have conceded just 16 points in five matches.

Fiji trailed 22-2 at half-time but winger Suliasi Vunivalu halted the one-way traffic when he went over for his ninth try of the tournament on the hour, becoming the first player to score points against Australia in their last 10 matches.

Fiji captain Kevin Naiqama said: "It was a great opportunity for us to progress into the final but Australia were too good for us. But we've really enjoyed this campaign and put Fiji on the map."