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World Cup Weekend Teams - Semi Finals
Written by: World Cup NewsNov 14, 2008 12:59am
The Rugby League World Cup 2008 finals are reaching their climax with this weekend's matches to decide the two teams who will go on to meet and battle next week for the trophy.
New Zealand are favoured to knock England out of the tournament on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, following their 36-24 comeback win when the two sides met in their pool game last weekend. The winning team will live to fight another week, while the losing nation will be on the plane home pondering what could have been.
It's time for the major teams to make sure their big guns are all on board, so there are a few changes to the Kiwi line-up that was named ahead of last week's game. Captain Nathan Cayless returns at the expense of prop Evarn Tuimavave and Sam Perrett comes back onto the wing for Jason Nightingale.
Coach Stephen Kearney has swapped positions with Nathan Fien and Thomas Leuluai so that Fien will start at halfback and Leuluai will start at hooker, keeping Issac Luke ready to make his stamp on the game from the bench. Simon Mannering moves from the pack to centre for the injured Steve Matai, and Sika Manu returns to the starting Kiwi pack in Mannering's place.
What can we say about England? Their credibility and squad morale is really on the line in this match. Coach Tony Smith must be tearing his hair out, as the English team showed last week they have enough talent to contest these games, only to fall away badly when things became difficult. Games of international rugby league last for 80 minutes, and continue regardless of what you think of a few refereeing decisions.
There are a few doubts about the team line-up that Smith has named this week, and late changes are expected as the under-performing Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce have both come under heavy scrutiny. Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Rob Purdham step into the starting back row relegating Gareth Hock and Kevin Sinfield onto an extended bench. At the moment it seems like Danny McGuire and Mark Calderwood will miss out on the 17 altogether, with the St Helens trio James Graham, James Roby and Jon Wilkin all back and taking their place on the bench, and Paul Sykes and Jamie Langley are also nowhere to be seen.
Sunday's match at the Sydney Football Stadium sees tournament favourites Australia face the tournament's most successful minnows after Fiji finished all over the Irish to the tune of 30-14 in their qualifying match on Monday. However the last time these two countries met in 2000, Australia were victorious over Fiji by 66-8…
The Kangaroos used their final pool match against Papua New Guinea last weekend to give their squad members a share of the spoils, so there are many changes from last week's named line-up. But basically Ricky Stewart’s team is back to full strength, with Karmichael Hunt doing enough to retain a place on the bench at the expense of halfback Scott Prince. Criag Fitzgibbon’s representative renaissance seems complete as he edges out Josh Perry for a bench spot for this important semi-final.
According to the Rugby League World Cup website, the Fijian pay-TV network ran out of satellite dishes before the Bati appeared in their qualifying match against Ireland! But I don’t think six days are enough to order an extra truckload or few…? Bati Coach Joe Dakuitoga has only made one change to his victorious Fiji side, with prop Osea Sadrau moving into the starting in place of Iowane Divavesi, Jone Wesele coming onto the extended bench.
The Fijian Times has reported that this is the first entry by Fiji into the semi-finals of any major sport, which should bring rugby league to a much greater prominence amongst sports on the islands. The Fijians may be on a hiding to nothing against an Australian side that is truly a class above, but the Bati pride has well and truly shown through against the odds during this Rugby League World Cup tournament regardless of the final result here.
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Game 16: New Zealand v England (Semi Final)
Saturday 15 November 2008
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane
Kick off 7:00pm local time (8pm AEDST)
Referee: Shayne Hayne, Video Referee: Phil Cooley
New Zealand:
1. Lance Hohaia (NZ Warriors)
2. Sam Perrett (Sydney Roosters)
3. Simon Mannering (NZ Warriors)
4. Jerome Ropati (NZ Warriors)
5. Manu Vatuvei (NZ Warriors)
6. Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
7. Nathan Fien (NZ Warriors)
8. Nathan Cayless (c) (Parramatta Eels)
9. Thomas Leuluai (Wigan Warriors)
10. Adam Blair (Melbourne Storm)
11. Sika Manu (Melbourne Storm)
12. David Fa’alogo (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
13. Jeremy Smith (Melbourne Storm)
14. Issac Luke (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
15. Greg Eastwood (Brisbane Broncos/Leeds Rhinos)
16. Bronson Harrison (Wests Tigers)
17. Sam Rapira (NZ Warriors)
Coach: Stephen Kearney (Melbourne Storm)
England:
1. Paul Wellens (St Helens)
2. Mark Calderwood (Wigan Warriors/Hull FC)
3. Keith Senior (Leeds Rhinos)
4. Martin Gleeson (Warrington Wolves)
5. Lee Smith (Leeds Rhinos)
6. Leon Pryce (St Helens)
7. Rob Burrow (Leeds Rhinos)
8. Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves)
9. Mickey Higham (Wigan Warriors/Warrington Wolves)
10. Jamie Peacock (c) (Leeds Rhinos)
11. Gareth Ellis (Leeds Rhinos/Wests Tigers)
12. Jamie Jones Buchanan (Leeds Rhinos)
13. Rob Purdham (Harlequins)
14. James Graham (St Helens)
15. Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves)
16. James Roby (St Helens)
17. Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos)
18. Jon Wilkin (St Helens)
19. Gareth Hock (Wigan Warriors)
(two to be omitted)
Coach: Tony Smith
Sportsbet.com.au odds: England $2.70 New Zealand $1.47
Leagueunlimited.com live updates here
Game 17: Australia v Fiji (Semi Final)
Sunday 16 November 2008
Sydney Football Stadium
Kick off 8:00pm AEDST
Referee: Ashley Klein, Video Referee: Steve Clarke
Australia:
1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
2. Joel Monaghan (Canberra Raiders)
3. Greg Inglis (Melbourne Storm)
4. Israel Folau (Melbourne Storm/Brisbane Broncos)
5. Brent Tate (NZ Warriors)
6. Darren Lockyer (Brisbane Broncos)
7. Jonathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
8. Petero Civoneciva (Penrith Panthers)
9. Cameron Smith (c) (Melbourne Storm)
10. Steve Price (NZ Warriors)
11. Glenn Stewart (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
12. Anthony Laffranchi (Gold COast Titans)
13. Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)
14. Karmichael Hunt (Brisbane Broncos)
15. Craig Fitzgibbon (Sydney City Roosters)
16. Anthony Tupou (Sydney City Roosters)
17. Brent Kite (Manly Warringah Seas Eagles)
Coach: Ricky Stuart (Cronulla Sharks)
Fiji:
1. Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)
2. Semi Tadulala (Bradford Bulls)
3. Wes Naiqama (c) (Newcastle Knights)
4. Daryl Millard (Canterbury Bulldogs)
5. Akuila Uate (Newcastle Knights)
6. Alipate Noilea (Parkes Spacemen)
7. Aaron Groom (Canterbury Bulldogs)
8. Osea Sadrau (Fassifern RLFC Qld)
9. Waisele Sukanaveita (Terrigal Sharks)
10. Ilisoni Vonomateiratu (Parkes Spacemen)
11. Ashton Sims (Brisbane Broncos)
12. Sevanaia Koroi (Wests Magpies)
13. Jaosn Bukuya (Cronulla Sharks)
14. James Storer (Cronulla Sharks)
15. Nick Bradley-Qalilawa (Manly Sea Eagles)
16. Jone Macilai (Fassifern RLFC Qld)
17. Semisi Tora (Parkes Spacemen)
18. Vula Naqau (Terrigal Sharks)
19. Jone Wesele (Darlington Point)
(two to be omitted)
Coach: Joe Dakuitoga
Sportsbet.com.au odds to win entire tournament: Australia $1.11 Fiji $101.00
Leagueunlimited.com live updates here
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