Can you take any more semi-final drama? On Monday night, there will be a little bit more for you to watch as the women’s tournament will be down to its final four competitors. Is it possible to put a stop to the Jillaroos? Will England be able to hold off the New Zealand Women’s National Team?
In preparation for the events that will take place on Monday, here is everything you need to know…
LNER Community Stadium in York will play host to the women’s semi-final match between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
When: 5pm (GMT)
TV: BBC’s iPlayer and the Red Button on BBC
Australia’s Rugby League World Cup results so far: Group B champions (Beat Cook Islands 74-0, France 92-0 and New Zealand 10-8)
So far in the Rugby League World Cup for Papua New Guinea: Group A runners-up (Beat Canada 34-12 and Brazil 70-0, lost to England 4-42)
The most recent full international meeting, which took place in Brisbane in 2022 and was hosted by Papua New Guinea, was unofficially titled “Australian PM XIII 64-6 Papua New Guinea.”
also read: Australia vs. New Zealand women’s Rugby League World Cup final: When, how to watch, squads, odds
Odds on the match from Betfred: Australia, not applicable; Papua New Guinea 33/1, draw 33/1
Australia has odds of 1/7 to win the tournament at Betfred, while Papua New Guinea has odds of 100/1.
When they defeated New Zealand in their final group game, the Australian Jillaroos appeared to be as close to vulnerable as they have in some time. However, it is expected that they will breeze through their match against Papua New Guinea in the first semi-final.
As a result of the significant shuffling that took place within their group during the early stages of the competition, they will be playing with an entirely new lineup for the remainder of the competition, with players such as Kezie Apps, Tarryn Aiken, Ali Brigginshaw, and Sam Bremner taking the reins.
PNG will place a significant amount of weight on the shoulders of Elsie Albert, Belinda Gwasamun, and Shirley Joe; however, they will need to significantly increase their intensity levels in order to make up for the fact that they slowed down significantly after the first 20 minutes of their match against England at Headingley on Wednesday.
The last time Australia lost was to New Zealand by a score of 26-16 in May of 2016, and since then they have won 11 consecutive full internationals and four unofficial matches.
LNER Community Stadium in York will play host to the women’s semi-final match between England and New Zealand.
When: 7:30pm (GMT)
Television: BBC Two as well as the BBC iPlayer
So far in the Rugby League World Cup, England has won Group A. (Beat Brazil 72-4, Canada 54-4 and Papua New Guinea 42-4)
So far at the Rugby League World Cup, New Zealand has placed second in Group B. (Beat France 46-0 and Cook Islands 34-4, lost to Australia 8-10)
England lost their most recent match to New Zealand 52-4. (Sydney, 2017 RLWC)
Odds on the match from Betfred are as follows: England at 4/5, New Zealand at 21/20, and a draw at 16/1.
England has odds of 7/1 to win the tournament, while New Zealand has odds of 8/1.
The England team captained by Craig Richards has never competed in a game of this magnitude before. Although they were defeated by a score of 52-4 in the same matchup in the semi-final of the 2017 competition, the growth of the sport in the country over the past few years means that they are an outfit that is more well-prepared than ever before as they get ready to face the New Zealand Kiwi Ferns, a team that they have never beaten in any of their five previous encounters with them.
The only significant issue that has arisen with regard to England’s performance thus far in the competition has been that of Tara Stanley’s kicking. She has been successful in only 18 of her 33 attempts, which gives her a conversion rate of only 55% so far.
Although the Wall of White have won each game with some room to spare, the current stage of the competition means that every point could be significant. However, they have a pack leader in Jodie Cunningham who appears to be reaching her full potential at the right time.
Additionally, Amy Hardcastle and Leah Burke have appeared to be extremely clinical on the left edge of the field. They may very well have the crucial component for the most important moments in Courtney Winfield-organization Hill’s and ingenuity, which is why they are so confident.
For New Zealand, the fact that they came so close to defeating Australia in their most recent match was sure to provide a boost of confidence. However, despite their two victories to this point, Ricky Henry’s team has had some sloppy moments in their overall play, and as a result, the head coach will be looking for a full 80-minute performance from his players.
The Kiwi Ferns have prevailed in all five of these teams’ previous contests against one another, with the aggregate score being 184-36 in favor of the Kiwi Ferns.
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