ONLY Australia and Scotland are certain of spots in Friday’s semi-finals when the last Group games take place today in Sydney.
The Scots and the Aussies have won both their matches to date; England, Ireland, the Pacific Island and Wales, meanwhile, will be hoping that results go their way if they are to come second in their respective groups and therefore also qualify for the last four.
Points’ differences could have a major impact on the various countries’ fortunes, but England will top Group B if they can beat current pacesetters Scotland today by nine points or more; they will still come second if they lose, subject to Wales slipping to the Pacific Islands.
Wales, meanwhile, are hoping that England go down to Scotland; the men from the Valleys have an inferior points’ difference to the Red and Whites of 22.
Ireland’s hopes of making the semis is slim, given that tournament favourites Australia are their opponents. The Irish, who are still without a win, must beat the Aussies by a big margin, and hope that the Pacific Islands lose to Wales, to have any chance of staying in the competition.
Fixtures
Wednesday 12 July
GROUP A: Australia v Ireland.
GROUP B: England v Scotland.
CROSS-GROUP: Pacific Islands v Wales.
Friday 14 July
World Cup Semi-finals and fifth v sixth play-off.
Sunday 16 July
Student World Cup Final (Pepper Stadium, Penrith).
Previous results
Friday 7 July
GROUP A: Pacific Islands 48 Ireland 4.
GROUP B: Scotland 48 Wales 18.
CROSS-GROUP: England 10 Australia 54.
Sunday 9 July
GROUP A: Australia 68 Pacific Islands 16.
GROUP B: Wales 4 England 22.
CROSS-GROUP: Ireland 24 Scotland 38.
