For all the positives of this World Cup – the inclusivity of the men, women and wheelchair athletes sharing the same stage, the new faces in the crowd attracted to the sport – it has lacked for jeopardy.

The qualifiers from the pool stages of the men’s and women’s tournaments followed rugby league’s conventional pecking order, indeed the showpiece men’s tournament didn’t produce a knife-edge game until the quarter-finals.

Arguably the biggest benefactor of this shared platform has been the wheelchair game and the pool that has been played exclusively at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield came down to the wire on Thursday.

Well, to the very last game at least.

Mike Mellon of Scotland is tackled by Andrew Higgins of Wales during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Group B match between Wales and Scotland at English Institute of Sport on November 10, 2022 in Sheffield (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)

Two-time defending world champions France had dominated the group, racking up 350 points in three convincing victories. But beneath them, the USA had beaten Scotland and Wales had defeated the USA, meaning the team from across the pond needed Scotland to win the sixth and final game of Pool B yesterday.

Alas, a Welsh side consisting of Leeds Rhinos player Jodie Boyd-Ward proved too strong for the Scots, despite the yellow shirts from north of the border never letting Wales get comfortable in their ascendancy.

“Wales are a good team, they’re hard to stop because they sit so high up in their chairs,” said Scotland captain Mike Mellon, whose frustration at being eliminated was tempered by the strides his nation has made in just 18 months working together, and his sport has taken.

"Compared with where we were at the last World Cup it’s night and day.

Andrew Higgins of Wales goes over for a try during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup Group B match between Wales and Scotland at English Institute of Sport on November 10. (Picture: Jan Kruger/Getty Images for RLWC)

"We’ve got strength and conditioning coaches now, a bigger player pool to pick from, and this is a huge platform for us to build on.”

A combined crowd of 1,129 wit nessed Thursday’s penultimate double-header at the EIS, the final one is Sunday when Wales meet England and Australia take on France in the semi-finals.

Expect a full house, a double dose of jeopardy and some mightily hard hits.

"Win or lose on Sunday,” said Wales head coach Stephen Jones, “and whether we go home or not, our sport is the big winner.”

Rugby League World Cup: Wales and Scotland provide the jeopardy in another thrilling wheelchair showcase at the EIS