England v New Zealand Preview

It's semi-final time, and the final four can sleep knowing they will make it to the last weekend in Japan. Doesn't mean they will be able to sleep as the pressure mounts further, 80 minutes away from the glory of a World Cup final can keep a man up at night. First up, on Saturday, is the current champions versus the home of the sport. Neither team had fully demonstrated their ability in the groups, but both utterly blew away their opponents in the quarters. This game promises to be full of blood, thunder, and no smaller amount of skill too. So what are the key points to consider ahead of kick-off?

Last time the two met England were robbed of the victory but a contenious offside decision. A moment
like that could swing the semi-final too.

The State of Play

Japan has been eventful, hasn't it? The pool stages were extraordinary, filled with dozens of memorable moments, a couple of amazing victories, and its fair share of controversy. For me personally, this has been the best World Cup I've watched in my lifetime, from the attitude of the host nation to the moments of ridiculous skill, to the performances of the likes of Uruguay, Japan, and the Tongans.

It's been a historic World Cup from every angle, from the hosts to the number of red cards, to the weather, and much more besides. To that end, it seems highly appropriate that all four of the quarter-final match-ups have plenty of history to go with them. England and Australia is a feud as old as time; New Zealand v Ireland is a more modern titanic rivalry; Wales want revenge after the events of 2011; lastly, Japan and South Africa engage in a rematch of the "Brighton Miracle".

So who's going in on a roll, who's under prepared, and crucially who's going to make the semis?

There's plenty of history in the quarter-finals, an opportunity for teams to lay deamons to rest,
or for others to make fresh memories of victory.

Quick Tap: Uruguay, High Tackles, and Fitness

The World Cup is well and truely underway, many results have gone exactly as you'd expect, we've had a couple of thrillers, and another which will go down in history. Here are my three main talking points so far from the events in Japan.

Week One in Japan will live long in the memory for many people.