UPDATE 2-Rugby league-Peerless Australia complete Ashes whitewash

Australia completed a 3-0 rugby league Ashes series whitewash with a convincing 30-8 victory over a spirited but outclassed England in the third and final test at Headingley on Saturday. With the series 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 try just before the interval did give the hosts hope of restoring pride, and 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, however, wastefulness that proved their undoing again as tries from Harry Grant and two from Reece Walsh gave the tourists back-to-back Ashes whitewashes for the first time since 1986.

"I don't think the scoreline reflected the game," Australia's player-of-the-series Cameron Munster told the BBC. "We got lucky at times, we took our moments. They had some line breaks, and we scrambled really well. We were very lucky with some of those things tonight."

ENGLAND FAIL TO MAKE FAST START England needed a fast start to try to put Australia on the back foot in the first rugby league Ashes series for 22 years.

They found themselves behind, however, after Addo-Carr went over in the corner with five minutes on the clock. The hosts had their chances to respond but, not for the first time in the series, they failed to take advantage of Australian defensive slips.

By the time Young had reacted quickest to Munster's clever kick to extend the tourists' lead, with Nathan Cleary converting both tries, Australia were 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 gave home supporters hope of salvaging pride.

Scuffles became commonplace as the crowd got their backs up, with Australia pinned in front of their own posts for lengthy periods. Chances came and went, however, as the England defensive mistakes crept back in. Mikey Lewis's error let Grant in under the sticks to end home hopes, before Walsh reacted first to another error to add to Headingley's woes.

Walsh danced through the weary England rearguard to finish off the scoring in style. With no internationals scheduled between now and next year's World Cup, England are a long way from being prepared to perform in the showpiece tournament, hosted by Australia and Papua New Guinea.

They have now tasted defeat in 14 successive Ashes series since success in 1970 as Great Britain, with supporters chanting: "You're getting sacked in the morning" in the direction of coach Shaun Wane as the match petered out. "We weren't at it today enough," Wane told the BBC. "Australia were worthy winners. We didn't deserve to win today. You need to be good for long periods. It's not Samoa or Tonga, and I don't mean that disrespectfully.

"They stay at it, Australia. We didn't stay at it long enough. That's something we need to fix in competition.