Rugby league-Australia complete Ashes whitewash with comfortable third test victory

LEEDS, England :Australia completed a 3-0 rugby league Ashes series whitewash with a convincing 30-8 victory over a spirited but inferior England in the third and final test at Headingley on Saturday.

With the series win secured with one test to spare, Australia never looked like failing to complete a second successive Ashes whitewash, and first-half tries from Josh Addo-Carr and Hudson Young put them in command.

George Williams's timely try just before the interval did give the hosts hope of saving some pride. England piled on the pressure to try to complete the turnaround as things turned feisty in the second half.

The hosts failed to make plenty of early second-half pressure count, wastefulness that proved their undoing again as further tries from Harry Grant and two from Reece Walsh gave the tourists back-to-back Ashes whitewashes for the first time since 1986.

England needed a fast start to try to put Australia on the back foot for the first time in the first rugby league Ashes series for 22 years. They found themselves behind, however, after Addo-Carr went over in the corner with just five minutes on the clock.

The hosts had their chances to issue a response but, not for the first time in the series, they failed to take advantage of some Australian defensive slips.

By the time Young had reacted quickest to Cameron Munster's clever kick to extend the tourists' lead, with Nathan Cleary converting both tries, Australia were once again firmly in the ascendancy.

England looked dead and buried at that point but a sensational burst from Jez Litten set up captain Williams, before four points from the boot of Harry Smith at least gave home supporters hope of salvaging some pride.

Scuffles became commonplace as the crowd got