WITH a chance at the gold medal on the line, New Zealand and England will go into battle in hope to secure a spot in the all-important final. The Roses are arguably the team to beat given their impressive game style and home crowd backing, while the Silver Ferns know what it takes to win on the big stage making it a tantalising match-up.

The Roses have gone from strength to strength remaining undefeated, despite losing star defender Layla Guscoth to an achilles injury early on. Though her injury has caused a devastating blow to England, the Roses have lifted their intent with the likes of superstar goal keeper Geva Mentor upping the ante in the goal circle. The tenacious defender oozes class and sheer brilliance to win the ball in the air and track it at ground level to get timely tips. Her combination with Eboni Usoro-Brown has evolved throughout the World Cup, while Fran Williams has also been a crucial inclusion for the Roses applying strong defensive pressure. Wing defence Jade Clarke has also been crucial in defence supplying another added element of pressure and contesting every ball to reduce the chance of easy transition down the court. With the defensive end solid, the midcourt can also stand up to the battle with the likes of captain Serena Guthrie leading the charge. The athletic centre can win the ball anywhere on the court credit to her impeccable timing, read of the flight of the ball and quick movement to get around the body of an opponent and snatch the ball out of their reach. Her defensive work is just as impressive as her attacking work able to move the ball swiftly down the court. Chelsea Pitman and Natalie Haythornthwaite have showcased their netball smarts to hit the circle edge with ease and precision while also displaying their defensive abilities picking up clever intercepts. The shooting circle holds no punches with all four shooters able to find the net with ease. Jo Harten has continued her impressive form shooting from anywhere in the circle and shaking up her game play depending on her opponent. Her ability to become both a moving and holding shooter makes her hard to stop while her connection with Helen Housby is impressive. The two create good space for one another and bring each other into the game when the other looks to be fading out credit to their shooter to shooter interplay and understanding of the game. The experience of Rachel Dunn also pays dividends for the Roses who can look to her in times of need, with the goal shooter oozing composure and class under the post.

Although the Roses have plenty of class across the court, New Zealand should not be underestimated given their experience and skill. The Ferns have worked tirelessly throughout the World Cup and will be ruing their one goal loss to the Diamonds making them a real threat to England. The defensive end for the Ferns is arguably one of their biggest assets with the likes of Katrina Rore, Casey Kopua, Jane Watson and Phoenix Karaka. Kopua has proven time and time again that she can single handedly tear games apart with her explosiveness and tenacity. Meanwhile, Watson has made a new for herself credit to her strong defensive pressure, impressive lean over the shot and quick footwork to confuse space in the goal circle. Another exciting prospect is Karin Burger with the versatile defender able to switch through the circle and goal defence given her innate defensive abilities and long reach. Through the midcourt Laura Langman commands both space and the ball. The Ferns captain is no stranger to the big stage and thrives on the competitive nature of the game. She can just about outrun and outmuscle any opponent while her ability to do the unthinkable could cause real headaches for the Roses. Both Gina Crampton and Shannon Saunders have showcased their skill to feed the ball into the shooters along with their speed to hit the circle edge and weave their way through tight one on ones. In the shooting circle Maria Folau has paved the way with her long bombs and impeccable timing to pop out on the dodge and win the ball in the air. Bailey Mes has well and truly stepped up throughout the World Cup putting her body on the line and positioning exceptionally well to win the rebound under the post and use her aerial skills to the best of her abilities.

Given both teams have a lot to play for expect bodies to be on the line with the hottest contest of them all to be in the midcourt with Langman and Guthrie. Both players are renowned for their physical nature and inability to take a backwards step while the potential match-up between Mentor and Folau will be equally as thrilling.