WALTZING MATILDA

From success at Chelsea to April's defeat, England players know Aussie star Sam Kerr's formidable power all too well

- JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

As Sam Kerr declared herself "ready to go", it was a warning for England that her World Cup has only just begun. With the Matildas enjoying their moment as Australia is gripped by World Cup fever ahead of today's semi-final against the Lionesses, it will not have gone unnoticed in the England camp that Kerr has yet to have hers. Without a goal and without a start in the World Cup, the Australia captain has been building towards the stage where she can make her most important contribution. Indeed, if there was ever a team who knows that you don't keep the striker quiet for long, it would be Australia's next opponents.

When it comes to the big occasions, Kerr often proves to be inevitable. Kerr's goals have strengthened Chelsea's domestic dominance since she signed for the club in 2019 but it is the timing of them that has led to her fearsome reputation. Before last season's FA Cup final, she confidently pointed out that every time she had played at Wembley, she had won a trophy. When she scored the winner against Manchester United, she extended her remarkable record in domestic cup finals to 10 goals in seven appearances, including the last six in a row.

But at the World Cup, Kerr's tournament has not gone to plan. As Australia have hit great heights, reaching their first-ever World Cup semi-final in front of record-breaking attendances and viewing figures, Kerr has often been on the periphery. This was supposed to be her tournament - the striker's face is everywhere and on everything, billboards, banks, TV adverts - but after being ruled out of the group stages due to a calf injury, Kerr was prevented from making her first appearance until the closing stages of Australia's last-16 win against Denmark.