Image source, Getty Images

England are well and truly rattled. First Iain Lewers and now Ashley Jackson have been sent to the sin bin, both smashing their sticks against the seats in anger, and after dominating possession in the early stages they are now on the back foot as New Zealand grow in confidence.

Chris Boardman
Olympic cycling champion and BBC Sport summariser

"Lizzie Armitstead wants this title. It was such a powerful attack, there was no answer to that at all. Perfect teamwork from England, as Armitstead let the Australians do all the work chasing Emma Pooley until they were softened up, then counter attacked. We could see a gold and silver going to England here. Fantastic tactics."

It is Lizzie Armitstead who overhauls Emma Pooley! The Englishwoman, having watched the rest of her rivals toil in pursuit of her team-mate, shows them how it is done, using her fresh legs to leap off the front and past Pooley.

Armitstead goes clear but Pooley has not given up. This might be civil war in the final five kilometres as the two English riders contest gold. Not a lot coming from the rest so far in response.

Chris Boardman
Olympic cycling champion and BBC Sport summariser

"The Australians know Emma Pooley is being used to draw the string but there is nothing they can do because they know she is so good in her own right. Bike-handling is really coming into it in these conditions too.

"Wouldn't it be fantastic if Pooley could pull this off? The chasing group are looking at each other and have eased up. Pooley could win this title."

Emma Pooley's lead is up to two seconds and the rest of the seven getaway riders are having to work hard to reel her in.

All except team-mate Lizzie Armitstead who is content to sit in the slipstream while her rivals' sprinting legs are worn down.

England are fighting on two front and they could have the rest of the field cornered.

England have returned to the court 24 hours after their agonising one-point semi-final defeat by New Zealand.

This time they are battling for bronze against Jamaica and they've taken a slight two-goal advantage after the first quarter.

It's not been pretty so far and coach Anna Mayes has already made changes, taking off Jade Clarke and bringing on fans' favourite Sasha Corbin at wing attack.

With 12km to go, there is a lot of looking round at each other and not a lot of pace in the leading group. It is all getting very twitchy and tactical.

Emma Pooley decides she will go for another joust off the front. It forces the Australians to do the chasing. They cannot afford to let her get too far clear so close to the finishline.

Chris and Gabby Adcock take the opening game 21-9 in 15 minutes against fellow English pair Chris Langridge and Heather Olver.

The rest of the field are two minutes and 20 seconds later through the start/finishline. They are just coasting home now and will be a footnote to the main action.

In absolutely torrential rain, New Zealand spend the opening 10 minutes defending their 'D' and on their first foray up the other end, the impressive Simon Child finishes high into the net. Seconds later, England launch themselves at the Kiwis once again and look to have equalised, but after a lengthy review it's decided that Phil Roper's cross was played with the back of his stick.

It doesn't feel like this is England's weekend at the National Hockey Centre.

Chris Boardman
Olympic cycling champion and BBC Sport summariser

"The roads coming into Glasgow have suddenly become like lubricated glass, the rain has changed the surface completely. It's a fascinating race, Emma Pooley surprised by making an attack over the top of the hill on the flat, but the Australians sensed they were about to be put on the back foot and then they took the initiative.

Image source, Getty Images

"I find it hard to believe this is going to to come down to a sprint. Surely there has to be another attack over the next few kilometres."

Under the start/finish banner and the leading group of seven have 14km to sort out their differences.

The rain is splattering down now and with the twists, turns, cobbles and bobbles under their tyres it could get messy in the leading group.

For Lizzie Armitstead it will bring back memories of the spray-filled silver she won in the road race at London 2012.

It looks like Emma Pooley might be cooked. The England rider has struggled up the climb up Montrose Street. But she is just playing possum.

Lizzie Armitstead, momentarily leading, drags the field, across to one side of the road, while her team-mate surges up the inside to force the pace on again and ask her rivals to chase.

Chris Boardman
Olympic cycling champion and BBC Sport summariser

"England are clearly in the strongest position here, Lizzie Armitstead is looking comfortable and at some point will press Emma Pooley into service and get her to ride as hard as she can to break up the lead group even more.

"Scotland's Katie Archibald has done a fantastic ride so far but she is surviving on pure courage. She now has got a measure of what it's like to race with the best in the world.

"Linda Villumsen, I thought she could be a dark horse here, but she is hanging off the back again. Unless she attacks she will not contest a medal."

Twenty kilometres to go and the rain has come hammering down. Lizzie Armitstead is still looking fresh as a daisy, letting Emma Pooley flog herself in her cause.

If it is Armitstead who ends up with gold around her neck, she will owe a fair chunk of it to her team-mate.

Emma Pooley's powerful surges up the inclines and nimble bike handling is proving a recipe that is not to Linda Vilmusen's liking. The New Zealander, who beat Pooley to time trial gold earlier this week, is lagging a little.

Katie Archibald of Scotland burned bright but faded out of the medals in the women's time trial in a heroic, but ultimately unsuccessful ride.

She is struggling to stay with the break now as well, bobbing like a nodding dog at the back of the queue.

Image source, @manxrock

British champion Peter Kennaugh will be riding for Isle of Man in the men's road race this afternoon and the photo above, posted by Kennaugh's dad on Twitter,, external gives a taste of just where it all began for the 25-year-old. On the left is an equally young Luke Rowe, who competes for Wales today.

The chasing group, behind the seven strong leading group, have dropped one minute 20 seconds off the pace.

The main teams are all content to let their representatives slug it out in that mini battle at the front.

Worth then reminding ourselves of who is involved: Lizzie Armitstead and Emma Pooley of England, Gracie Elvin and Tiffany Cromwell of Australia, Ashleigh Pasio of South Africa, Katie Archibald of Scotland and Linda Villmusen of New Zealand.

Who is favourite out of all that lot? Well, the combination of Armitstead and Pooley is a strong one, but how much energy will the pace-making job have taken out of Pooley's legs?