Lionesses to face 'Matilda-mania' as Australia set for biggest ever TV audience
England are facing 'Matilda-mania' as they prepare to do battle for a place in their first ever Women's World Cup final.
The semi-final showdown with the home nation could attract the biggest TV audience in their sporting history. Australia take on the old enemy on Wednesday at the venue where Johnny Wilkinson famously drop kicked England to glory.
It meant we triumphed against the Wallabies in the 2003 rugby World Cup final.... with just 28 seconds left on the clock.
The Matildas' dramatic victory over France produced a TV audience of 7.2m, the biggest for a sporting event in Oz since Cathy Freeman won gold at the Sydney 2000 OIympics. One columnist described the footy fever sweeping the country as 'a sporting version of Beatle-mania'.
He suggested the nation had not seen anything like it since Lennon and McCartney landed in June, 1964. England captain Millie Bright made clear the Lionesses cannot wait for the biggest game of the tournament so far, in the biggest women's world cup in history.
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They face a team riding on the back of an extraordinary penalty 7-6 shootout victory over France in the quarter final.
The front page of the Daily Telegraph in Oz changed its name to Daily Tillygraph with the headline 'NOW FOR THE POMS'. It added: "We've secured the Ashes, we've trounced them in netball - now Australia's most famous sporting rivalry will ignite in dramatic fashion on Wednesday when the Magnificent Matildas battle England for a spot in the World Cup final."
England were 'an old enemy' for 'The Australian' who described the enormity of the stakes as 'mind boggling'.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said: "I think I know how much this means to so many people."
And of the match against England he added: "I love it. We have shown that we thrive under pressure. I am so freaking proud about this team. These players are on a mission.
"The bravery they showed? Unbelievable! The heart beating in this team and this country? Unbelievable."
Aussie goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, the star of the shoot out with France, believes the crowd will be the '12th man' against England, she said: "Special thanks to them, they’ve been unreal. I’m so proud to be an Australian. I think we can win it."
Lauren Hemp, 23, named player of the match by BBC viewers in England's 2-1 victory over Colombia, hit back: "We've got the chance to make the final. We will grab it with both hands."
Hemp believes the 40,000 Colombians in the crowd for their quarter final has prepared England for the challenge of a home crowd.
"Their national anthem gave me goose bumps," she told the FA's 'Lionesses Down Under connected by EE'. "But I think as players we thrive in under pressure situations like that, so it actually helped us."
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