Jillaroos Face Fiji in World Cup Semi-Final, With a Final Spot at Stake

Australia's Jillaroos meet Fiji's Bulikula in the Women's Rugby League World Cup semi-final at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Sunday 8 November. The winner goes through to the final against New Zealand.

Kick-off is at 5:45pm AEDT, which is Sunday morning in the UK. The final is set for Brisbane the weekend after the semi-finals. The women's match is part of a double-header with the Kangaroos, Australia's men's team.

New Zealand have already booked their place. They beat Samoa 32-10 in Newcastle to reach the decider, so the question for the other two teams is who will join them.

Australia are the reigning champions, and they have made a fast start in this tournament. They opened with a 40-0 win over Samoa in Sydney. The Guardian reported a 78-0 win over England in Perth, in which they scored 15 tries. A try is rugby league's version of a touchdown, worth four points.

Their third game was the most lopsided. Australia beat Wales 124-6, with Jaime Chapman scoring six tries. Across their three matches before the semi-final, they have scored 242 points and conceded six.

The team is coached by Jess Skinner. Tamika Upton has been named at No. 1 in the side to face Fiji, and the squad has been chosen with the semi-final in mind.

Fiji's tournament began with a close defeat. They led New Zealand at half-time in their opening game but lost 18-12. They have looked much sharper since.

Fiji beat Papua New Guinea 40-4 in Port Moresby in round two. They then won 54-6 against France on the Gold Coast. Those two results show a team that scores freely once it gets into its rhythm.

Rugby league is a game of possession and field position. Each team gets six tackles to move the ball forward. When the attacking side is held up, it has to hand the ball over. A team that keeps the ball moving can wear down a defence, and a team that makes a mistake can lose its chance quickly.

Fiji's best chance is probably to stay in touch early and make the game messy. Australia's record suggests they are very hard to contain once they have momentum.

Whoever wins on Sunday will face New Zealand in Brisbane. That will be the first step towards the title for either side.