Rugby League World Cup Today: England Face Formidable Ferns In Semi-Final

Monday's play will decide the two women's finalists
07:00, 14 Nov 2022

Can you take any more semi-final drama? Well, there's a bit more for you on Monday night as the women's tournament reaches the last four. Can the Jillaroos be stopped? Will England be able to fight off the Kiwi Ferns?

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Monday’s action…

Australia v Papua New Guinea - Women's Semi-Final

Where: LNER Community Stadium, York.

When: 5pm (GMT)

TV: BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer

Australia’s RLWC so far: Group B winners (Beat Cook Islands 74-0, France 92-0 and New Zealand 10-8)

Papua New Guinea's RLWC so far: Group A runners-up (Beat Canada 34-12 and Brazil 70-0, lost to England 4-42)

Last meeting: (unofficial) Australian PM XIII 64-6 Papua New Guinea (Brisbane, 2022) - No previous full international meeting

Betfred match odds: Australia N/A, Papua New Guinea 33/1, draw 33/1

Betfred tournament odds: Australia 1/7, Papua New Guinea 100/1

The Jillaroos looked as close to vulnerable as they have in some time when they edged out New Zealand in their final group game, but they will be expected to make light work of Papua New Guinea in the first semi-final. Having shuffled their pack plenty in the early group stage, they will be dead red for the rest of the tournament, with the likes of Kezie Apps, Tarryn Aiken, Ali Brigginshaw and Sam Bremner leading the way.

PNG will be counting heavily on Elsie Albert, Belinda Gwasamun and Shirley Joe, but they will have to seriously increase their intensity levels having fallen off markedly after the first 20 minutes against England in their final Group A fixture at Headingley on Wednesday.

Sportsman stat: Australia have won 11 straight full internationals and four unofficial clashes since their last defeat, a 26-16 reverse to New Zealand in May 2016.

AUSTRALIA EDGED NEW ZEALAND 10-8 IN THEIR GROUP CLASH
AUSTRALIA EDGED NEW ZEALAND 10-8 IN THEIR GROUP CLASH

England v New Zealand - Women's Semi-Final

Where: LNER Community Stadium, York.

When: 7:30pm (GMT)

TV: BBC Two and BBC iPlayer

England's RLWC so far: Group A winners (Beat Brazil 72-4, Canada 54-4 and Papua New Guinea 42-4)

New Zealand's RLWC so far: Group B runners-up (Beat France 46-0 and Cook Islands 34-4, lost to Australia 8-10)

Last meeting: New Zealand 52-4 England (Sydney, 2017 RLWC)

Betfred match odds: England 4/5, New Zealand 21/20, draw 16/1

Betfred tournament odds: England 7/1, New Zealand 8/1

Craig Richards' England side have never known a bigger game than this. While they lost this same fixture 52-4 in the 2017 semi-final, the development of the sport in the country over recent years mean they are a far better-prepared outfit than ever before as they prepare to face the Kiwi Ferns, a team they have never beaten in five previous meetings.

They only real question mark over England's quality in the tournament so far has related to Tara Stanley's kicking. She's converting at a rate of only 55% so far, having landed 18 of her 33 attempts. While the Wall of White have still won each game with a bit to spare, now is the point where every point could matter. But in Jodie Cunningham they have a pack leader who looks to be peaking at the perfect time, while Amy Hardcastle and Leah Burke have looked incredibly clinical on the left edge. And in Courtney Winfield-Hill's organisation and ingenuity, they might just have the key element in the biggest moments.

For New Zealand there will have been great heart taken from how close they pushed Australia in their previous game, but in their two wins thus far there have been some sloppy moments in the general play of Ricky Henry's team so the head coach will be looking for a full 80-minute performance from his side.

Sportsman stat: The Kiwi Ferns have won all five previous clashes between these two sides, with an aggregate score of 184-36.

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