Rampant 'Roos smash England

Greg Inglis and Billy Slater both scored hat-tricks as Australia hammered England 52-4 at the Telstra Stadium in Melbourne.

The reigning champions showed they are a cut-above the rest of the field in the World Cup with a second successive demolition job.

Having thumped New Zealand 36-6 the previous Sunday the Kangaroos were even better against the old enemy, scoring nine times in a one-sided rout.

James Roby grabbed the only try for England as Australian-born coach Tony Smith suffered an embarrassing first defeat in charge.

Dress rehearsal

The former Leeds Rhino boss faces a busy week ahead of the clash with the Kiwis next Saturday, a game that looks almost certain to be a dress rehearsal for a semi-final showdown between the two nations.

England had gone into the game with high hopes of pulling off a repeat of Great Britain's historic 33-10 win in the same city back in 1992.

Instead they were given a harsh lesson in clinical finishing as they slipped to their heaviest ever World Cup reverse and the biggest loss seen so far in the competition.

Within the first 10 minutes they had already conceded twice, Gareth Ellis' penalty setting up the Australians as Slater got on the end of Cameron Smith's grubber kick to open the floodgates.

Inglis opened his account soon after when finishing off an overlap out wide, although England briefly threatened to make a game of it.

For 20 minutes they more than matched their opponents, forcing the Australians onto the back foot before hooker Roby touched down despite the attentions of five defenders.

But, just as it appeared the game was back in the balance, the defensive line creaked again, conceding two quick-fire scores before the break.

Inglis got the first when he acrobatically got the ball down in the left corner before going into touch and then Anthony Laffranchi forced his way over from close range to leave Scott Prince an easy conversion that made it 22-4.

If the first half had been slightly testing for the Australians the second was a walk in the park, another fast start putting paid to any hopes that may have still remained amongst the 4,000 English fans in the ground.

Special Slater

Joel Monaghan glided over for his second international try before Slater treated the crowd to a length-of-the-field special, the full-back turning the hapless Mark Calderwood inside out at the finish having broken free from his own line.

From the re-start England's decision to go for a short kick only resulted in Inglis reacting quickest to Keith Senior's tap back to canter in for his third.

Slater followed suit when he carried two weary tacklers over the line with him and second-rower Laffranchi brought up the half-century by pouncing on Scott Prince's well-weighted grubber.

The Gold Coast scrum-half, only called into the team late on with Johnathan Thurston ruled out through injury, slotted over his seventh conversion to add to his penalty on the hour mark after Australia had strangely seemed to take mercy on their rivals by going for two.

At the final hooter England looked glad their nightmare was over, for in the week of the Melbourne Cup there had been only one set of thoroughbreds on display. Smith will hope his side can clear a Kiwi hurdle to get a second crack at the Aussies in the final.