Wallabies reach quarters with ten-try Russia rout

Australia crushed Russia to reach the quarter-finals – and a likely clash with the Springboks – but the victory was overshadowed by a hamstring injury to winger Drew Mitchell that appears likely to have ended his tournament.

Russia got three tries – through Vladimir Ostroushko, Denis Simplikevich and Konstantin Rachkov – but Australia touched down ten times. Mitchell, David Pocock and Berrick Barnes all crossed twice for the Wallabies, with Ben McCalman, Stephen Moore, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Salesi Ma’afu also scoring.

Australia had secured a bonus point for scoring four tries by the 15th minute, which could be important in the quarter-finals context. If Italy beat Ireland today and don’t concede two bonus points, Australia will top Pool C and avoid South Africa in the last eight.

Scorers: Australia: Tries: Barnes 2, Mitchell 2, McCalman, Pocock 2, Moore, Ashley-Cooper, Ma’afu. Cons: O’Connor 9. Russia: Tries: Ostroushko, Simplikevich, Rachkov. Cons: Rachkov 2. Drop goal: Rachkov.

Australia: O’Connor; Samo, Ashley-Cooper, Barnes, Mitchell; Cooper, Burgess; Slipper, Moore, Kepu, Horwill, Sharpe, Higginbotham, Pocock, McCalman. Subs: Phipps, S Faingaa, Ma’afu, Simmons, Elsom.

Russia: Artemyev; Simplikevich, Kuzin, Makovetskiy, Ostroushko; Kushnarev, Yanyushkin; Popov, Korshunov, Prishchepenko, Voytov, Byrnes, Fatakhov, Grachev, Gresev. Subs: Babaev, Rachkov, Shakirov, Botvinnikov, Travkin, Matveev, Garbuzov.

Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand). Attendance: 17,000.