World Cup overnight: England on fire; Wheelaroos into semis

The main takeaways

• The Ravens finish third in Pool A and will have plenty of belief that they can climb higher in France in three years' time.
• Canada have a couple of out-and-out stars in Megan Pakulis and Maddy Aberg, who racked up big run metres and broke plenty of tackles.
• Brazil played with plenty of pride and passion in their first ever World Cup and were unlucky not to come away with a draw.

Star performers

Player of the match Megan Pakulis ran for 282 metres and had the Brazil defence on high alert all night. She was ably supported by Maddy Aberg, who made 254 metres, while playmaker Laura Mariu laid on a try in the first half for Ferris Sandboe and put the kick in that culminated in Alanna Fittes' match-winner in the 79th minute. Brazil had plenty of stars, none better than prop Franciny Amaral, who ran for 199 metres and broke 13 tackles, and flyer Edna Santini, whose 90-metre intercept try will live long in the memory of all who saw it.

What the result means

The Ravens now have two World Cup victories to their name, having beaten PNG in 2017, and they can look ahead to 2025 with plenty of optimism. Both sides will take plenty of positives from their World Cup experience, improving game by game and producing a thriller to bring down the curtain on their campaign. Watch for the Ravens and Amazonas to take big strides during the next three years and be ready to stretch some highly fancied rivals in 2025.

Recap

• Match report: Canada strike late to grab victory over Brazil
• Key injuries: Nil

The main takeaways

• England came out on top of Pool A after overcoming a rocky start against PNG Orchids, who have beaten the Lionesses previously on their way to posting their first ever Test win.
• While the PNG forwards worked hard early, England soon settled into the match with their own pack setting the foundations for the win with some strong runs through the middle.
• The Orchids, who claimed their first World Cup win this tournament and will be making their debut appearance in the semi-finals will learn plenty from the game after matching it with the hosts early, and will look to add a new dimension to their game. 

Star performers

England forward Jodie Cunningham claimed player of the match honours, but had plenty of support from her team-mates, with Vicky Whitfield making a big impact off the bench. Experienced halfback Courtney Winfield-Hill again showed her class with some great vision and pin-point kicking, in particular to winger Leah Burke who finished the match with a hat-trick.

What the result means

England finish top of Pool A and will meet the Pool B runner-up in a semi-final in York on November 14. The home nation's semi-final opponent will be decided when Australia and New Zealand clash in York.

The last three World Cup finals have been played between Australia and New Zealand but that can't happen in 2022 with the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns in the same pool so England are presented with a great opportunity to play in their first ever final.

The Orchids will also be part of the semi-final action, taking on the Jillaroos or Kiwi Ferns in a huge ask for Ben Jeffries' team who will need to regroup quickly.

Recap

• Match report: England top Pool A after overcoming Orchids
• Key injuries: Nil

Recap

The Wheelaroos have booked their spot in the semi-finals with a 52-32 win over Spain in their final pool match.

After a tight start, a stunning six minute hat-trick from James Hill blew the scoreline open for the green and gold, with his two length-of-the-field efforts giving Brett Clark's side a commanding 32-10 lead at the break.

Hill added a fourth early in the second half as the Wheelaroos took charge, with Bayley McKenna continuing his brilliant World Cup form.

Theo Gonzalez starred for Spain as they fought the match out to the end but it was Australia taking the win to finish second in the pool behind England.

What the result means 

The fourth-ranked team in the world, Australia will now face off against world champions France in a sudden-death semi-final showdown on Sunday, with the winner moving through to the Wheelchair World Cup Final.

Recap

England proved far too strong for Ireland with a 121-0 victory, with Joe Coyd and James Simpson scoring four tries each while Nathan Collins bagged a hat-trick and kicked eight goals for a personal tally of 28 points.

Another world record crowd of 3847 was on hand at the Copper Box Arena to see the powerful England side pile on 21 tries as they wrapped up top spot in their pool.

England exploded out of the blocks with five tries in the first 15 minutes and went right on with the job to make it three from three at the World Cup.

What the result means 

England have scored 263 points and conceded just 20 as they power into the semi-finals where they will meet USA, Wales or Scotland, depending on the final day of games in Pool B.

Player of the match Joe Coyd looms as a key player in England's push for World Cup glory, where the all-conquering France loom large as their likely opponent in the final should they make it that far.