Who are England likely to play as the Netball World Cup continues?
The Diamonds might be back..
Thursday 13 August 2015 23:30, UK
England are likely to have a second opportunity to defeat the hosts Australia en route to possible Netball World Cup glory.
The Roses' route to the pinnacle of the tournament Down Under is riddled with challenges, but we’ve tried to plot their potential road to the trophy.
Step one is very simple for Tracey Neville's side - they must defeat South Africa in their next match to stand any chance of progressing further. Their do-or-die encounter with the Proteas is live on Friday on Sky Sports 4 HD at 7.15am.
Having qualified from the first group phase, England find themselves second in Pool F with two points after being on the wrong side of a 10-goal beating from Australia, who have four points.
The Roses' win over Wales on Wednesday has given them the springboard to confirm a runners-up spot behind Australia if they defeat South Africa on Friday. The top two sides from Pools E and F will collide in the semi-finals.
So who can England expect to meet in the final four knock-out stages?
The runners-up of each group will meet the respective winners of the other group so if England are beaten to top spot by Australia, they will face the winners of Pool E.
Uganda and Jamaica, after one match each, are struggling without any points, leaving New Zealand and Malawi vying for first place. The Silver Ferns have a maximum four points, having defeated Malawi already, so they can win Pool E if they beat Uganda, as they are heavily favoured to do, on Friday.
That would pit England against New Zealand in the semi-finals! It would be a fascinating contest, largely because some of the Roses' most experienced players, such as captain Geva Mentor and shooter Jo Harten, ply their trade in the ANZ league in Australia and New Zealand.
The Silver Ferns, who have already registered a shock win over Australia in the Netball World Cup, would be formidable opposition and are currently ranked as the world's No 2 side.
And all signs point towards Australia making their way to the final - the Diamonds have all but sewn up Pool F and would likely face Malawi in the final four.
England have already tasted defeat to Australia this campaign but could book a quickfire rematch and what better way for Neville's side to complete the remarkable achievement of bringing the World Cup home?
Watch England's next Netball World Cup match against South Africa on Friday, live on Sky Sports 4 HD at 7.15am.
