Rugby-World Cup quarter-final spots up for grabs in final round of pool stage

(Reuters) - England, New Zealand and Canada are already assured of quarter-final spots at the women's Rugby World Cup, leaving five remaining berths up for grabs in the final round of pool matches this weekend.

With two third-placed finishers progressing along with the top two from each of the three pools in New Zealand, all 12 teams remain in the running even if it would take an unlikely series of results for winless Japan, South Africa and Scotland to advance.

Italy will be strong favourites to beat Japan and clinch at least second place in Pool B on Sunday, while France will be expected to seal their quarter-final spot against Fiji in Saturday's final match at Whangarei.

Australia and Wales meet on Saturday in the opening match of the round, which will almost certainly decide second place behind New Zealand in Pool A and send the losers into the battle for the two spots for third-placed teams.

Wales attack coach Richard Whiffin said his team would be going all out for a first ever victory over the 'Wallaroos' to avoid the possibility that they might later lose out through points differential or another tiebreaker.

"Playing the first game of the whole weekend, it is something we can't control so we have got to go out there and try and win the game and almost take it out of anyone else's hands," Whiffin said ahead of the Whangarei clash.

The United States, inaugural world champions in 1991, will by contrast know exactly what they need to do to go through when they play neighbours Canada in Sunday's penultimate match.

Third placed behind the Pool B leaders and Italy going into the weekend, the Americans could still conceivably top the group, or miss out on the quarter-finals altogether.

"A win is what we need and a win is