Rugby League World Cup: Dave Woods on England v Samoa semi-final

Get ready for a gut-churning, nerve-racking Saturday afternoon.

Whether you are backing England or Samoa, their World Cup semi-final at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is going to be one hell of a game.

And one thing is for sure - this time, it will not be 60-6 like when England thrashed Samoa in the opening game of the World Cup.

Semi-finals can be the most tense, most dramatic and most heartbreaking of games in a tournament.

England's past two World Cup semi-finals have been proof of that; almost unbearable emotional rollercoasters.

At Wembley in 2013, we watched Sam Burgess at his best, Dean Whare's wonder pass for a Roger Tuivasa-Sheck try and then, at the end of a pulsating game with England desperately trying to hold out against New Zealand, Shaun Johnson's dazzling step and dash to the line with seconds remaining broke the hearts of the home crowd.

• Burgess, Radley and Williams in Golden Boot running

Despair for Sean O'Loughlin after England's 2013 World Cup semi-final defeat by New Zealand, and joy for Chris Hill after the 2017 semi-final win over Tonga

Four years later in Auckland, in front of a full house of roaring Tonga fans, it was just as tense.

England looked like comfortable winners, until Tonga produced a stirring and incredible fightback in the late stages. A controversial knock-on call against Tonga's Andrew Fifita in the closing moments was the difference between glory and despair.

We could witness something similar this weekend.

England favourites against improving Samoa

England's outstanding win over Samoa just four weeks ago, and their impressive form since, has made them the headline act of this World Cup so far.

But as the final gets closer, so the hurdles get higher. It will be a very different Samoa side they face, in terms of mentality and preparedness.

England are favourites, undoubtedly. Expectations of them making the final are justifiably sky-high.

But Samoa have been growing and strengthening, and we can revert back to the lines we were using before the tournament began. They are a team of extraordinary talents, many of them passing the quality test every week in the NRL.

A clinical and eye-catching victory over France in the group stages showed their squad was clicking into gear.

Their hard-fought and tense quarter-final win against Tonga proves they now also have a robust, battle-hardened ability to get the job done when the going gets tough.

Teenage full-back Joseph Sua'ali'i was electrifying at times in that quarter-final - a complete contrast to his error-strewn performance on the opening day against England. Winger Brian To'o has made more metres than any other player in this World Cup.

And up front, props Junior Paulo - now cleared to play after successfully appealing against his one-match ban - and Josh Papalii are fantastically ferocious and powerful operators.

England fans have every right to be nervous, but equally, they can be optimistic.

Forward battle will be pivotal

Both sides have the talented backs to make the most of momentum and space, but the right to run is earned by the big men in the middle and England have some of the best.

Tom Burgess and Chris Hill are in the destructive form of their lives. When it comes to choosing the team of the men's tournament, they will both be right in contention.

Loose forward Victor Radley has been terrific, a five-star inclusion in his first England campaign. And at hooker, Michael McIlorum is as tough as they come.

What we also know for certain is that, under Shaun Wane's direction, this is a pack that will bring raw energy and a front-foot attitude to any match they play.

On the back of any wins down the middle, this England team has shown that it has world-class backs that can take advantage and convert position into points.

It might come down to who holds their nerve the best.

The men's tournament has thrown up more than its share of one-sided games, and that will be something for the International Rugby League to review before they set the format for the next World Cup in France in 2025.

But ultimately it will be best remembered for its biggest moments and occasions. England v Samoa in the semi-final could very well be one of them.

Wheelchair game offers chance for expansion

This World Cup will also be remembered for introducing the fantastic sport of wheelchair rugby league to a wider audience of fans.

It is a version of the sport that offers a real platform for growth and expansion.

As you will now know, no doubt, it is a delight to watch. The wheelchair game has all the impact, and more, that the running game offers. It also has a level of subtlety and skill that is not necessarily expected by the unfamiliar viewer.

The close-range body swerves and handling reminds me a lot of the running game I grew up watching. Back then, the defensive retreat at the play-the-ball was only five yards, not the 10 of the modern game. In that game, dexterity and subtle ball-handling at close range were as important as power and size. That is what we have got in wheelchair rugby league.

It offers a real chance for expansion and growth for rugby league. In the US, for example, where the men's and women's running game have struggled to take hold, the wheelchair game has immediately appealed to a group of adaptive athletes who are loving it.

In their first World Cup, the US have competed with the established rugby league nations with an almost entirely homegrown squad. Spain are a similar example. There will be plenty more to come from both of them.

Impact and collision are what draw a lot of fans to rugby, both league and union, but the running game is under pressure to reduce that impact because of the growing awareness of brain injuries and their effects.

Wheelchair rugby league can keep that impact without the same level of concern, because strikes above the shoulder are not a part of that game. So it can keep the crash, bang, wallop and the subtle skills and speed that make it an irresistible watch.

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