England V Samoa preview: Here is everything you need to know ahead of this weekend's World Cup semi-final at the Emirates

The two teams previously met in the opening game of the tournament, which ended in a huge 60-6 win for Shaun Wane’s side at St James’ Park.

A place in the final at Old Trafford is the prize for whoever comes away from the capital with a victory.

Here is some of the key information:England:

Wane’s side comfortably progressed through the group stages, winning all three games.

Following their opening day victory against Samoa in Newcastle, they beat France 42-18 at the University of Bolton Stadium, before overcoming Greece 94-4 at Bramall Lane.

They also made easy work of their quarter-final tie against Papua New Guinea, winning 46-6 at the DW Stadium.

Samoa:

Since their defeat to England, which came as a surprise to many, Samoa have improved as the tournament has progressed.

In their remaining group games, they beat Greece 72-4 and France 62-4, as they showcased their dominance.

Their quarter-final tie was a much tighter affair, as they came up against a tough Tonga at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Jaydn Su’a, Jarome Luai and Brian To’o all went over in a narrow 20-18 win, in what was a perfect test for them ahead of Saturday’s game.

The Coaches:

Shaun Wane took over the England job in 2020, but has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic during his first few years.

Prior to this role, the former Great Britain prop spent eight season as Wigan Warriors head coach, winning three Super League Grand Finals and one Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile, Matt Parish has been Samoa head coach since 2013, overseeing two World Cup campaigns.

He has also been an assistant at a number of NRL clubs, as briefly being in charge of Salford.

Key Players:

Dom Young has continued to impress throughout the tournament.

The winger now has nice tries to his name, after going over for one in England’s victory against Papua New Guinea.

In that game at the DW Stadium, it was Tommy Makinson down the other side who stole the headlines.

The 31-year-old set a new individual record for England, as he went over for five tries.

Sam Tomkins will also prove to be key from fullback, with his experience set to be crucial.

Meanwhile, despite not being at their best in the previous meeting between the side, Samoa have a lot of dangerous players.

Luai will cause England plenty of problems in defence, while fullback Joseph Sua’ali’i is powerful presence for Parish’s side.

Wigan Warriors Involvement:

John Bateman and Mike Cooper are both included in Wane’s squad, having both played last week against Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, Kai Pearce-Paul was 18th man at the DW Stadium, and is in contention to play again.

Elsewhere across the tournament the next few days, Declan Roberts and Adam Rigby will be in Sheffield on Sunday for England Wheelchair’s semi-final, while Vicky Molyneux and Georgia Wilson are in action on Monday in York in the women’s competition.

Where to Watch:

Saturday’s coverage of the game between England and Samoa starts at 1.45pm on BBC One.

The game is also available to listen on Radio 5 Sports Extra from 2.15pm.