The last round of the pool-stages. Once these are complete, clever people will be able to work out the two nations to join the six who qualify for the quarters by finishing first or second in their three pools.
Fixtures for Saturday 22 October
02.15 Australia v Wales (Pool A)
04.45 New Zealand v Scotland (Pool A)
07.15 France v Fiji (Pool C)
Sunday 23 October
00.45 Japan v Italy (Pool B)
03.15 USA v Canada (Pool B)
05.45 England v South Africa (Pool C)
All UK times; sleep well.
Here are the points scored in the three pools after two matches:
A. New Zealand 10; Australia 4; Wales 4; Scotland 2
B. Canada 10; Italy 5; USA 5; Japan 0
C. England 9; France 6; Fiji 4; South Africa 1
That means that only New Zealand, Canada and England are safely qualified. Of the rest only France look to have a sure passage through. So tension awaits.
The bad news
Tournament-ending injuries are beginning to mount up. To date I have registered:
Alisha Butchers (Wales) Chloe Rollie (Scotland) Eilidh Sinclair (Scotland) Laure Sansus (France)
Commiserations to all of them.
The news is even worse for France. Romane Ménager seemed to be knocked out cold as she made a tackle. She recovered, but must go through all the necessary protocols before being allowed to resume playing. That could take her deep into the later stages of the competition.
Key Games
In Pool A the big match is between the Australians and the Welsh. Wales have a good chance of finishing in the final eight; the Wallaroos an even better one. Two wins in the pools would represent a big plus for the Welsh. They scored from a rolling maul against the Black Ferns, so who knows? Siwan Lillicrap is in line for her 50th cap. Congratulations.
In Pool B we have yet another North American clash. It would be a surprise if the Eagles managed to bring a halt to a string of losses in these encounters. If the Maple Leafs win, that would make a second-place seeding likely.
In Pool C the two leaders may decide to use the full breadth of their squads, but all eyes will be on their opponents, the Boks and Fijiana, to see how far they can stretch two of the Big Four.
It’s make-or-break time.
