Draws for the Rugby League World Cup quarter-finals have been announced. There is only one round left of pool games, before the quarterfinals next week.
New Zealand, Australia and Tonga have secured their spots in the quarter finals after last weekend’s wins. Australia will finish first or second in Pool A regardless of the result in this weekend’s clash against Lebanon. They will play their quarter final match at Darwin Stadium on the 17th of November.
The winner of Saturday’s match between New Zealand and Tonga will secure 1st place, while the loser in 2nd, and both will proceed to the sudden death round.
New Zealand will play their quarter final match at Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday18th November, while Tonga will play at Christchurch Stadium on the same day.
If the current Pool A standings remains, England would finish in 2nd place to play the top team in Pool C which is currently Papua New Guinea, at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium on Sunday 19th November.
The third placed team in Pool B, which will be determined after the Samoa and Scotland match, will play the winner of Pool A in the quarter finals.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s matches, if France can beat England on Sunday, Lebanon will qualify for an historic quarter final appearance, making up the top 3 in Pool A.
England, Lebanon, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will have to secure their places in the quarter finals with a win this weekend, while Ireland, Italy and France need to win and rely on other results to qualify.
