The much-anticipated run-in of the Rugby League World Cup begins on Friday night when 11-time men's champions Australia and 2008 winners New Zealand head to Elland Road for the first of this year's six semi-finals across three formats.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s action…
Australia v New Zealand - Men's Semi-Final
Where: Elland Road, Leeds.
When: 7:45pm (GMT)
TV: BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
AUSTRALIA
RLWC2021 so far:
Group B: Winners (beat Fiji 42-8, Scotland 84-0 and Italy 66-6)
Quarter-finals: Beat Lebanon 48-4
RLWC History:
Champions 11 times (1957, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2013, 2017)
Overall record: 70 wins, two draws, 11 defeats (84.3% win rate)
Matchday 19:
1 James Tedesco (captain), 2 Daly Cherry-Evans, 3 Ben Hunt, 4 Valentine Holmes, 5 Jake Trbojevic, 6 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 7 Cameron Munster, 8 Latrell Mitchell, 9 Josh Addo-Carr, 11 Cameron Murray, 13 Pat Carrigan, 14 Nathan Cleary, 16 Reuben Cotter, 17 Angus Crichton, 18 Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, 20 Harry Grant, 21 Liam Martin, 24 Isaah Yeo
NEW ZEALAND
RLWC2021 so far:
Group C: Winners (beat Lebanon 34-12, Jamaica 68-6 and Ireland 48-10)
Quarter-finals: Beat Fiji 24-18
RLWC History:
Champions once (2008)
Overall record: 37 wins, three draws, 33 defeats (50.7% win rate)
Matchday 19:
1 Joey Manu, 2 Ronaldo Mulitalo, 4 Peta Hiku, 21 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 5 Jordan Rapana, 6 Dylan Brown, 7 Jahrome Hughes, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 9 Brandon Smith, 10 James Fisher-Harris, 16 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 12 Kenny Bromwich, 13 Joseph Tapine, 11 Isaiah Papali'i, 14 Kieran Foran, 17 Briton Nikora, 20 Isaac Liu, 15 Moses Leota, 19 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
This is where the World Cup truly gets to its goosebump moments. While New Zealand's come-from-behind win against Fiji and Samoa's victory over Tonga lit upon quarter-final weekend, there is nothing quite like a Kangaroos v Kiwis Test match for a place in the World Cup final.
The Aussies have experimented with their squad to great return. Their 13 newcomers have slotted in over the course of their first four fixtures, and the veterans have sparkled. Josh Addo-Carr's 11 tries see him lead the way in the competition, and with Latrell Mitchell inside him he has to be backed to bag a few more before this World Cup is done. If anything, Mal Meninga has too many options. The use of Nathan Cleary over Daly Cherry-Evans finally saw the Kangaroos coach reveal his hand a little over his half-back conundrum but he could yet choose the Manly legend in either of the remaining rounds.
For New Zealand and Michael Maguire, this is the moment to really step up after some unconvincing moments in their run so far. The concession of a try to Jamaica seemed like a slight blip, scrappy as it was, but they then lost themselves for spells against Ireland in their final Group C match and against Fiji in the quarter-finals could easily have gone out of the comp early for a second straight tournament.
That recovery, aided somewhat by a hugely dubious penalty call by the video ref at 18-all, has seen them live to fight on but there is no doubting they have to be better to have anything approaching a chance against an Australia side who are still the team to beat. But then, we said that before the 2008 final, too.
Sportsman stat: Australia have been to every men's Rugby League World Cup final to ever have been played, barring the very first one between Great Britain and France in 1954.
Betfred match odds: Australia 2/9, New Zealand 10/3, draw 18/1
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
