Holders France reach another World Cup final

Nicolas Clausells has been part of the French set-up since 2013

France defeated Australia 84-40 in their Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup semi-final to stay on track for a third title in a row.

Jeremy Bourson scored a 17-minute hat-trick on his way to five tries while Mostefa Abassi added four.

France will play the winners of the second semi-final between England and Wales at 14:30 GMT.

• Fixtures, results and BBC coverage times

Hopes were high that Australia could challenge the French, who had scored 350 points in their three pool games, but they made the worst possible start with Florian Guttadoro scoring after 35 seconds and Lionel Alazard converting.

Although Brad Grove quickly responded to make it 6-4, France, led by Bourson, quickly took control.

They continued to rack up scores in the opening 40 minutes and punished errors made by the Australians on their way to a 54-10 half-time lead.

Australia, who lost 38-8 to England in their opening game, tried to make life difficult for the world's number one side, and made the scoreline more respectable. They will hope to build for the future while the French can look forward to Friday's final in Manchester.

• A compelling parable on race, power and love: The English - an epic Western drama starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer
• SAS Rogue Heroes: Watch the incredible new drama from the creator of Peaky Blinders