Defending champions New Zealand will face host nation England in the Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 final at the Twickenham Stoop on Sunday after contrasting semi final victories over France and Australia respectively.

New Zealand, bidding for a fourth successive crown, scored seven tries to beat France 45-7 with flying wing Carla Hohepa scoring twice to take her tally for the tournament to six and remain as leading try scorer with Canada's Heather Moyse.

England were made to work much harder to reach their third final in a row, seeing off the stern challenge of a gutsy Australia, sealing a 15-0 victory with a late Alice Richardson penalty as the Wallaroos piled on the pressure.

Neither side was prepared to give an inch, resulting in some fierce tackling and resolute defending. England had the majority of first half possession and scored tries through Katy McLean and Danielle Waterman, but Australia never gave up the fight to reach a first ever World Cup final.

In the day's other matches at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, there were victories for USA, Canada, South Africa and Wales in the play-off semi finals to determine the standings from fifth to 12th.

USA avenged a loss to Ireland in the pool stages with an emphatic 40-3 victory and will now face North American rivals Canada, the 41-0 conquerors of Scotland, in the fifth place play-off. Ireland and Scotland will come face to face for seventh place.

Wales, meanwhile, picked up their first win of the tournament - 32-10 over Sweden - and will now meet South Africa for ninth place. Kazakhstan, beaten 25-10 by South Africa, will meet Sweden with both sides seeking to avoid finishing 12th.