Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals - England 19-7 New Zealand, Wales 16-19 South Africa

England will face South Africa in the Rugby World Cup Final, read about both semi-finals here.

England 19-7 New Zealand
HT 10-0
Tries: Tuilagi/Savea
Conversions: Farrell/Mo'unga
Penalties: Ford (4)

Photo from BBC Sport

England will play in a Rugby World Cup for the first time in 12 years after thrashing defending champions New Zealand.
England took a 10-0 lead into half time, with Manu Tuilagi's try the earliest in a match that the All Blacks had ever conceded in the second minute, in addition to a long range penalty from George Ford before the break.
The video referee ruled out tries by Sam Underhill and Ben Youngs for the 2003 champions, the outcome of which was an empowered New Zealand, reducing the deficit to 13-7 when Ardie Savea pounced on a wayward line-out throw.
England held on, though, thanks in part to three nerveless penalties by Ford, and the young guns of Underhill and Tom Curry were dominant in the back row as England held off to pull of one of their most remarkable victories.
Not only was England's performance brilliant, it was an unlikely defeat for New Zealand - their first in a World Cup match for 12 years, having beaten England in 15 of their last 16 meetings between the two nations.
But after crashing out in the group stage four years ago on home soil, England dethroned the defending champions with a energetic performance which will be remembered for years to come.

Wales 16-19 South Africa
HT 6-9
Tries: Adams/de Allende
Conversions: Halfpenny/Pollard
Penalties: Biggar (3)/Pollard (4)

Photo from BBC Sport

Wales agonisingly missed out on their first World Cup final as a 76th minute penalty by Handre Pollard nicked the win for South Africa, who will face England in the showpiece.
In an attritional first half, Pollard scored three penalties to give the Springboks a 9-6 lead at the break, seeking to overpower the Welsh forwards and kick them into submission.
A Dan Biggar penalty brought Wales level early in the second period, before Damian de Allende burst through the Welsh defence to take a 16-9 lead for South Africa.
Wales, sensing they needed to go for it, boldly opted for a scrum rather than a penalty in front of the posts.
They managed to work the ball wide for Josh Adams to dive over, the conversion of which made it 16-16.
The stage was therefore set for a captivating final 10 minutes in which Wales drove forward, searching for a win that would keep hopes alive of Warren Gatland's tenure with the team ending with the William Webb Ellis trophy.
Those hopes were dashed as Pollard struck his fourth, and the ultimately decisive, penalty four minutes from time.
Gatland's reign as Wales head coach will instead end with a third-place play-off against his native New Zealand, while South Africa will play England to decide who will become world champions.

Draw

Third-place match

New Zealand v Wales (1 November, Chofu)

The Final

England v South Africa (2 November, Yokohama)

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Rugby World Cup Quarter-Finals - England 40-16 Australia, New Zealand 46-14, Wales 20-19 France, Japan 3-26 South Africa

England thrashed Australia to set-up a World Cup semi-final with another antipodean opponent in New Zealand after their win over Ireland, while Wales edged past France and South Africa outclassed hosts Japan.

England 40-16 Australia
HT 17-9
Tries: May (2), Sinckler, Watson/Koroibete
Conversions: Farrell (4)/Lealiifano
Penalties: Farrell (4)/Lealiifano (3)

Photo from BBC Sport

England qualified for their first World Cup semi-final in 12 years with a ruthless performance against old rivals Australia.
Jonny May celebrated his 50th cap by running in two tries in three first-half minutes, a Eddie Jones' men established a 17-9 half-time lead, only for Marika Koroibete to get the Wallabies back to just one point behind.
England regained control when prop Kyle Sinckler smashed through from a flat Owen Farrell pass, with the fly half kicking half of England's points in the match.
Anthony Watson applied the knockout blow with a late interception try.
In a World Cup where England have seldom been tested, it was their best performance yet, and Jones' decision to start Farrell was vindicated with a seventh consecutive win over his home nation.
England were dumped out of their home tournament four years ago at the group stage at the hands of Michael Cheika's side.
The young back row combination of Tom Curry and Sam Underhill was outstanding, and provided some sweet revenge, and the reward for the victory is a meeting with defending champions New Zealand in a week's time.

New Zealand 46-14 Ireland
HT 22-0
Tries: A Smith (2), B Barrett, Taylor, Todd, Bridge, J Barrett/Henshaw, penalty try
Conversions: Mo'unga (4)/Carbery
Penalties: Mo'unga/

Photo from BBC Sport

New Zealand condemned Ireland to a seventh World Cup quarter-final exit with a 46-14 hammering in Tokyo to set up a last four meeting with England.
Aaron Smith scored twice and one from Beauden Barrett gave the All Blacks a 22-0 half-time lead, with Codie Taylor, Matt Todd, George Bridge and Jordie Barrett adding further tries after the break.
Robbie Henshaw crossed, and a penalty try were nothing but a consolation in a disastrous performance by Ireland.
The final chapter in Joe Schmidt's tenure as Irish head coach will be remembered as a failure with an embarrassing defeat, particularly highlighting the lack of progression since four years ago when they exited the tournament at the same stage.
The defeat to New Zealand was Ireland's second loss in the tournament - losing their Pool A match to hosts Japan 19-12 deprived them of a potentially easier route to a first semi-final via a last-eight meeting against South Africa.
Having produced a display that few, if any, sides could have matched, the All Blacks progress to the semi-finals as even stronger favourites to win a third Webb Ellis Cup on the bounce.

Wales 20-19 France
HT 10-19
Tries: Wainwright, Moriarty/Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa
Conversions: Biggar (2)/Ntamack (2)
Penalties: Biggar (2)/

Photo from BBC Sport

Ross Moriarty's late try booked a semi-final place for Wales in the World Cup at the expense of 14-man France.
Warren Gatland's team came from behind to win 20-19 in Oita.
French lock Sebastien Vahaamahina was sent off after 48 minutes after elbowing Welsh flanker Aaron Wainwright.
Leading 19-10 at the time, France capitulated as Wales scored 10 points without reply to earn the right to play South Africa in Yokohama for a place in the final.
Wales suffered an injury blow minutes before kick-off, centre Jonathan Davies being withdrawn with a knee injury he sustained against Fiji, but his team's resilient victory matches their World Cup campaigns in 1987 and 2011 where they also reached the last four.
France were relentless in the first half, with Vahaamaina, Charles Ollivon and Virimi Vakatawa scoring tries.
Wainwright and Moriarty responded, with 10 further points coming from the boot of Dan Biggar.
The only previous World Cup meeting between these nations was won by France in the 2011 semi-final - a match that also featured a red card, for then Wales captain Sam Warburton.
The tables were turned this time, and the French dismissal proved pivotal to the outcome.
Wales were far from their best, but their resilience and character carried them though a disjointed performance - France led from the fifth minute until the 74th.
Moriarty scored the decisive try late on after his first-half yellow card, the ball was adjudged not to have been passed forward in the build-up from a rip by replacement scrum-half Tomos Williams.
Owen Watkin replaced the injured Davies, while full-back Leigh Halfpenny was brought onto the bench.
France had had a two week wait for this game, after wins over Argentina, Tonga and USA their Pool C decider was abandoned because of Typhoon Hagibis, but they look fighting fit and started as they meant to go on.

Japan 3-26 South Africa
HT 3-5
Tries: /Mapimpi (2), de Klerk
Conversions: /Pollard
Penalties: Tamura/Pollard (3)

Photo from BBC Sport

Hosts Japan's World Cup dream came to an end at the hands of South Africa, with the Springboks bullying their way to a 26-3 win.
Makazole Mapimpi made a powerful run to score early on, before they went a player down when Tendai Mtawarira was yellow carded for a tip tackle.
Only a Yu Tamura penalty came in the time that Japan had the man advantage, making the half-time score 5-3.
Faf de Klerk and Mapimpi crossed in the second half, while Handre Pollard's 11 points put the game beyond Japan's reach.
Any hopes of a repeat of the 2015 World Cup shock win for Japan against the same opponents never materialised, bringing to an end the four week fairytale.
For South Africa, they face Wales in the semi-finals, with the winner playing England or New Zealand in the showpiece.

Draw
England 40-16 Australia
New Zealand 46-14 Ireland

=

England v New Zealand (26 October, Yokohama)

Wales 20-19 France
Japan 3-26 South Africa

=

Wales v South Africa (27 October, Yokohama)

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Rugby World Cup - England vs France - Cancellation due to weather concern sees England top the group

England's final Rugby World Cup pool match against France was cancelled due to safety concerns regarding Typhoon Hagibis.

Photo from BBC Sport

The biggest typhoon of the year is set to wreak havoc on Tokyo and surrounding areas, forcing World Rugby to make a decision about the safety of players, fans and staff.
The cancelled matches go down on record as a 0-0 draw, meaning England progress as winners of Pool C, with France two points behind in second place, to set up an Ashes quarter-final, with Wales topping Pool D to play the French.
France will have two-weeks rest ahead of the last-eight fixture, with Wales getting half that.
Eddie Jones and his England team will leave Tokyo for Miyazaki, the base for their pre-tournament training camp.

Alan Gilpin - tournament director - said that he and his team looked "exhaustively" at possible venue changes or match rearrangements, before ulitmately deciding that that was unfeasible on both logistical and safety grounds.
All fans with tickets to cancelled matches are entitled to a full refund.

The typhoon will bring with it winds in excess of 120mph and 300-500mm of rain.
This is not unusual for Tokyo, with Typhoon Faxai hitting the capital in early September, with winds of 130mph, it left nearly one million people without power.
Gilpin has also been quoted saying there are "no regrets" within World Rugby about bringing the tournament to Japan in typhoon season.

Scotland were eliminated from the tournament after losing their final pool match to Japan 28-21.
The Scots had two wins, one loss and three bonus points before their clash with the hosts, knowing they would need four more points than their opponents to progress.
The match was rearranged from Sunday to Monday, with Scottish Rugby arguing they had a legal case if the match hadn't gone ahead.
Scotland were beating 27-3 in their tournament opener against Ireland, but bounced back impressively with consecutive bonus point wins without conceding points against Samoa and Russia.
Ireland qualified with Japan from Pool A with a bonus point win over Samoa in their final pool match.
The hosts will play South Africa in the quarter-finals, while Ireland drew defending champions New Zealand.

Draw
Quarter-Finals
England v Australia (19 October, Oita)
New Zealand v Ireland (19 October, Chofu)

=

v

Wales v France (20 October, Oita)
Japan v South Africa (20 October, Chofu)

=

v

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BoyleSports World Grand Prix Darts, Quarter-Finals - Dobey, Chisnall, Durrant and van Gerwen make up the last four

Both Mervyn King and the eventual winner Michael van Gerwen hit 170 checkouts in a pulsating match on quarter-finals night at the World Grand Prix.

Photo from sportinglife.com

Ian White 2-3 Chris Dobey
Ian White suffered more quarter-final heart ache as Chris Dobey produced an outstanding display of finishing to progress to his first televised semi-final.
Diamond's 100% losing record in TV quarter-finals extends to eight matches, including once before in Dublin four years ago.
In a match that ebbed and flowed, with momentum swinging back and forth, it was Dobey who eventually triumphed, helped along the way by five 100+ checkouts.
The 29-year-old from Northumberland knocked out Gary Anderson in the previous round, and started at a pace that White could not compete, with Hollywood taking the opening set 3-0 averaging 95 - some 34 more than White - and closing it out with a 134 finish on the bullseye.
White didn't get down to a finish in any of the legs, missing 11 darts at starting doubles which explains his 61 average in the first set.
He managed to level the second set at 1-1, and just as White got into the match, Dobey's performance waned slightly, allowing the 49-year-old to scrape through the next two legs in 19 and 21 to level the set score.
White, playing in his 21st quarter-final from 46 tournaments this year, took another sloppy leg at the start of set three in 24 darts, after Dobey failed to hit a starting double in four visits.
Dobey missed four darts at tops in the next leg as White punished, before a 16-darter completed a whitewash set.
Dobey checked out 120 to complete a 12-darter to 2-1 up in set four, checkoing out 100 in the next leg to go out in 15.
The momentum continued into the deciding set which he took 3-0 with 156 and 100 checkouts to complete a huge win.
Having won twice on the European Tour this year, stage tournament wins are not uncommon for White, and at this time of year the TV tournaments come thick and fast, up next is the European Championship

Dave Chisnall 3-1 Nathan Aspinall
Dave Chisnall ended Nathan Aspinall's hopes of a second TV major, while he remains in the hunt for his first with a win to send him into his 10th major semi-final.
This will be Chizzy's third appearance in the last four at the World Grand Prix, having made it this far in 2016 and to the final in 2013.
A 3-1 win over one of the form players this year in the Asp is further proof that this could be the time that he finally gets his hands on that so far elusive televised title.
The St Helens man could have had two whitewashes in as many days had he converted either of his two match darts in the deciding leg of the third set, having dumped out Stephen Bunting 3-0 after beating of of the pre-tournament favourites Gerwyn Price.
The UK Open Champion punished those missed darts to get a set on the board, before Chisnall held his nerve to break Aspinall's throw and see out the win with a score line which doesn't reflect the competitive and close nature of the match.
Chisnall ended his two year wait for a PDC title earlier in 2019, adding two more including his first on stage (European Tour) in six years, having hit three nine-darters along the way this year.
Having played well in his two matches before the meeting with Aspinall, the confidence was clear to see when he took the opening two legs, but he wasn't without his luck as the Stockport man missed two darts for the set having forced a deciding leg.
Chisnall won three legs on the trot from 1-0 down in set two, taking them out on just 40 darts.
He took out 121 in set three to put him on the brink of victory, only to fluff his lines in the deciding leg of the set.
Chisnall took the fourth set 3-1, finishing the match with a 90 average, four 180s and a checkout percentage of 42.31%.

(1) Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Mervyn King
In a replay of the 2012 final, Michael van Gerwen and Mervyn King produced a thrilling contest in which both players hit 170 checkouts.
Defending champion van Gerwen got the better of the King in the end as he bids to retain this title for the first time in his career.
Calmness under pressure from the Green Machine saw him take out 60 in the deciding leg of the fourth set to seal the match, with the Norfolk man having piled on the pressure by leaving 16, but King didn't come back to the board to be able to force a fifth set.
King, who upset MvG at the UK Open and Gary Anderson at the World Matchplay this year, gave a good account of himself with a performance that we all know he is capable of.
Following wins over Dimitri Van den Bergh and James Wade, King started in fine form in his quarter-final, hitting a 10-darter with visits of 152-140-177-32 to go 2-1 ahead in the first set, only for van Gerwen to level at 2-2 in 14 darts.
King then missed three darts for the first set in the deciding leg, and the Dutchman made him pay.
The Dublin crowd were on their feet in set two, as van Gerwen landed the Big Fish finish at the end of a 15 dart leg, with King able to match him two legs later to level the match at 1-1.
Van Gerwen took set three 3-1 with legs won in 15, 13 and 16 darts, but King came fighting back, taking the first leg of the fourth set with a 132 checkout going bullseye, treble 14 and tops.
King - a five time PDC major runner-up - blew two chances for a 2-0 leg lead, but even after leading 2-1 in set four, he was punished for missing a set dart before a 14-dart leg wrapped up the match for van Gerwen.
The world champion will be looking to put right the curious stat that he has never defended this title, having won it as his first major back in 2012, beating King in the final.
If he is to complete a successful title defence, it'll be his 11th tournament win of the year and the fifth on TV after the Masters, Premier League and two World Series events.

Glen Durrant 3-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Glen Durrant's dream Dublin debut continued with a hard-fought win over Jermaine Wattimena. 
Duzza has now matched his run to the last four of the World Matchplay in the summer, and is one win away from a maiden PDC major final in his first year with a Tour Card. 
On the back of victories over Kryzstof Ratajski and Blackpool champion Rob Cross, The Teesider was favourite to end the campaign of Dutchman Wattimena, who was in his first individual major quarter-final.
The Machine Gun came out firing from the outset, taking the first set 3-0, opening proceedings with a 154 finish in the first leg.
Durrant had almost gifted set one to his opponent with a poor showing, but somehow restored parity with a 3-0 set win of his own despite being still below his best.
Wattimena went 2-0 up in set three, with a 104 checkout to complete a 15-darter, only for Durrant to take the next three legs on the spin to lead overall.
Having missed a dart for the set at tops in the deciding leg, Wattimena could hav been forgiven for a sluggish performance in set four, but checkouts of 107 and 115 saw him clinch it 3-1, and holding throw at the start of the deciding set.
A 116 finish followed by a 15-dart leg saw Durrant go 2-1 up in set five, while a 92 checkout booked his place in the last four.

Friday Order of Play
Glen Durrant (ENG) v Dave Chisnall (ENG)
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Chris Dobey (ENG)

Draw

(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) 3-2 1-3 3-1 3-2 Mervyn King (ENG)
Ian White (ENG) 0-3 3-1 3-0 1-3 0-3 Chris Dobey (ENG)
Glen Durrant (ENG) 0-3 3-0 3-2 1-3 3-1 Jermaine Wattimena (NED)
Dave Chisnall (ENG) 3-2 3-1 2-3 3-1 Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
=
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Chris Dobey (ENG)
Glen Durrant (ENG) v Dave Chisnall (ENG)

Day One Results and Report
Day Two Results and Report
Day Three Results and Report
Day Four Results and Report

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BoyleSports World Grand Prix Darts, Day Four - Aspinall, Chisnall, Durrant and Wattimena complete quarter-final line-up

Glen Durrant and Jermaine Wattimena produced huge upsets to see Rob Cross and Peter Wright knocked out of the World Grand Prix in the second round, read about it here.

Photo from sportinglife.com

Danny Noppert 2-3 Nathan Aspinall
Nathan Aspinall is going from strength to strength in 2019, making the quarter-finals on his World Grand Prix debut.
Since bursting into the spotlight with his run to the World Championship semi-finals, the Stockport man has won the UK Open and US Darts Masters on television, as well as reaching three other finals on the ProTour.
After beating Vincent van der Voort winning all bar one leg, he was up against Danny Noppert who had knocked out former champions Daryl Gurney.
The Dutchman recovered from trailing 2-1 in the opening set to win it, before the Asp responded with three legs on the bounce to level the set score.
Checkouts of 88 and 77 from Noppert in set three moved him one victory, but Aspinall wasn't done yet, taking out an 88 of his own to clinch set four before racing through set five 3-0, with checkouts of 92 and 89.
Aspinall hit five maximums and averaged 87.26, but missed 27 darts at finishing doubles - he'll have to be more clinical in the next round.

Dave Chisnall 3-0 Stephen Bunting
Dave Chisnall won the St Helens derby to book his place in the World Grand Prix quarter-finals for the fourth time in his career, capitalising on double trouble for Stephen Bunting.
Chizzy won in straight sets, dropping just three legs, as an out of sorts Bullet missed 43 starting doubles and 10 out of 13 attempts to finish.
Chisnall missed 22 darts to get away, with 15 of those coming in just two legs, though he managed to nick one of them anyway in 18 darts, thanks to visits of 96, 140, 171 and a 94 checkout.
The 2013 runner-up is still in the hunt for his first major title, and he too wasn't at his clinical best on finishing doubles, missing 20 of 29, as he averaged 86.35.
Having gone 2-0 up in the first set, Chisnall was let of the hook when Bunting couldn't find a double.
Chisnall's good form this year is shown by his three titles including the Danish Darts Open on the European Tour, and you could make the case that it's all clicking at the same time for him, as he heads for the last eight.

(2) Rob Cross 2-3 Glen Durrant
Glen Durrant came through the battle of world champions against Rob Cross, adding another string to his bow in an already remarkable debut PDC season.
The three-time Lakeside champ has added two PDC titles to his list of honours since coming through Q School in January, and is now just one win away of matching his debut run to the semi-finals of the World Matchplay.
This eagerly-anticipated match got off to a scrappy start with Duzza edging a low quality first set.
Durrant hit a 13-darter to take set one, before Voltage hit back to win the next 3-0 with back-to-back checkouts of 144 and 134.
The World Matchplay champion couldn't use that momentum, struggling with his doubles at both ends of legs - as Durrant took set three, Cross only managed a 28 dart leg to lose it 3-1.
The last leg in that set Durrant took in 15 darts, ending with a 109 checkout, before nailing a 116 finish to complete a 12-darter in the next set, getting the Dublin crowd on their feet.
Cross came back again though, taking the deciding leg in that set in 12 darts with a 138 checkout, with both players increasing their game against an opponent playing well.
Durrant found a level that Cross couldn't match though, taking set five in 15, 16 and 14 dart legs to book his place in the quarter-finals.
Although Durrant's average (85.3) was inferior to Cross' (86.44), and he hit half as many 180s with two, it was his finishing that got him over the line, pinning 11/20 attempts with Cross missing 19 of his 28.

(7) Peter Wright 1-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Jermaine Wattimena couldn't hold back the tears when he reached his first individual televised quarter-final after stunning Peter Wright.
A huge underdog heading into the match, the Machine Gun was up against and in-form Snakebite - who won three consecutive tournaments earlier in the season - checking out 111, 78 and a huge 148 to take the first set.
However last year's runner-up couldn't maintain that level, struggling with the starting doubles and his scoring in set two, which Wattimena wrapped up with two 16 dart legs and one in 14.
Wright went out in 12 darts with an 88 checkout to go 2-1 up in set three, but the Scot missed three set darts in a deciding leg, as the Dutchman cashed in and punished him with a 100 checkout and a lead in sets for the first time.
With the fourth set also going the distance, Wattimena found a 13 dart leg to seal it on double 12, prompting the emotional scenes of celebration and disbelief.

Thursday Order of Play
Ian White (ENG) v Chris Dobey (ENG)
Dave Chisnall (ENG) v Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Mervyn King (ENG)
Glen Durrant (ENG) v Jermaine Wattimena (NED)

Draw

Section One
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) 3-0 3-1 3-1 Jeffrey de Zwaan (NED)
(8) James Wade (ENG) 3-2 2-3 1-3 0-3 Mervyn King (ENG)
(5) Michael Smith (ENG) 3-2 0-3 0-3 2-3 Ian White (ENG)
(4) Gary Anderson (SCO) 3-2 2-3 0-3 1-3 Chris Dobey (ENG)
=
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Mervyn King (ENG)
Ian White (ENG) v Chris Dobey (ENG)

Section Two
(2) Rob Cross (ENG) 2-3 3-0 1-3 3-2 0-3 Glen Durrant (ENG)
(7) Peter Wright (SCO) 3-2 0-3 2-3 2-3 Jermaine Wattimena (NED)
Dave Chisnall (ENG) 3-2 3-1 3-0 Stephen Bunting (ENG)
Danny Noppert (NED) 3-2 0-3 3-1 1-3 0-3 Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
=
Glen Durrant (ENG) v Jermaine Wattimena (NED)
Dave Chisnall (ENG) v Nathan Aspinall (ENG)

Day One Results and Report
Day Two Results and Report
Day Three Results and Report

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BoyleSports World Grand Prix Darts, Day Three - King, White and Dobey cause upsets, van Gerwen thrashes de Zwaan

Day three of the World Grand Prix saw three seeds knocked out of the tournament with Mervyn King, Ian White and Chris Dobey progressing, while Michael van Gerwen was at his brilliant best against Jeffrey de Zwaan.

Photo from sportinglife.com

(8) James Wade 1-3 Mervyn King
Mervyn King continued his good form with a 3-1 victory over James Wade to book his place in the quarter-finals for the first time in six years.
The 53-year-old edged out world youth champion Dimitri Van den Bergh in the first round and upset the odds once more to end the campaign of the former two-time World Grand Prix champion.
Wade has bagged five titles this season, in addition to the consecutive TV titles he won at the end of last year at the European Championship and the World Series Finals, but King has produced a couple of televised upsets throughout the year, beating Michael van Gerwen at the UK Open and Gary Anderson at the World Matchplay.
The 2012 runner-up hit seven 180s, but wasn't punished for missing 24 darts at finishing doubles by an out of sorts Wade.
The Machine took the first set 3-1 and went 1-0 up in the second, before back-to-back maximums and a 109 finish for King stunned the Aldershot man.
King then punished five missed set darts by Wade in the deciding leg of set two, which the Norfolk thrower one to level the match.
King produced a stunning 10-darter at the start of the third set, riding the wave from then on as he won six of the next seven legs to progress to the last eight.

(5) Michael Smith 1-3 Ian White
Ian White beat Michael Smith to progress to the stage beyond which has never experienced in a televised major title - the quarter-finals.
Despite his unquestionable ability and numerous titles on the floor, it has never fully clicked for Diamond in the latter stages of the biggest tournaments.
However, that could all be about to change after a nerveless display against one of the most talented and promising players on the tour.
White has won two European Tour events this year - including beating Michael van Gerwen in a final in his home of the Netherlands, and he showed superb spirit to come back from losing the opening five legs against Joe Cullen in round one to win, and this latest resurgence will give him a huge boost.
World championship runner-up Bully Boy took the opening set in the fifth leg, only for White to take the next six legs on the bounce to lead 2-1 in sets.
White took the opening leg of the fourth set too, and although Smith was able to force a deciding leg, he couldn't get away in six darts and White got over the line.

(1) Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Michael van Gerwen was in a hurry to book his place in the quarter-finals as he hunts a fifth World Grand Prix title, losing just two legs in a straight sets win over Jeffrey de Zwaan.
The defending champion will be keen to retain his title for the first time since winning in Dublin to claim his first major title in 2012, and you could argue he's already got one hand on it with the dominant way he dealt with his Dutch compatriot.
This was expected to be a close encounter with the Black Cobra getting the better of Mighty Mike at last year's UK Open and World Matchplay, but there was no such upset tonight.
The first set was already in van Gerwen's name after four minutes, helped by two 12-dart legs, a 134 finish and a stunning average of 107.36, leaving de Zwaan stunned.
His average did drop after the second set - but only to 103.39 - as de Zwaan avoided a whitewash with a 120 checkout, though he still lost the set 3-1.
Van Gerwen missed 11 darts at the starting double meaning his average took a hit, allowing de Zwaan to take a 1-0 lead in the third set, but the next three legs went to the Green Machine to end with a still impressive average of 94.79.
With the manor of this latest victory and the way that some of the other players who were tipped for the title have been knocked out, van Gerwen will be firm favourite to add the World Grand Prix to his title haul this season of the Masters, Premier League and the World Series events in Melbourne and New Zealand.

(4) Gary Anderson 1-3 Chris Dobey
Chris Dobey came from a set down to produce one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, as well as one of the biggest victories of his career over Gary Anderson.
Hollywood, making his tournament debut, was beaten by the Flying Scotsman in the World Championship fourth round in December, but the Northumberland man turned the tables on the former two-time world champion to book his place in the last eight.
It'll be only his third televised quarter-final, having previously appeared at that stage of the 2016 Grand Slam and last year's Players Championship Finals.
But based on his most recent win, he'll surely be looking to go at least one step further.
Meanwhile, the wait goes on for Anderson to add this elusive major to his CV, but if he is going to contend for the big tournaments, he'll need to up the standards to the level he was playing at before his back surgery.
Anderson will now be eyeing the Grand Slam as his main aim before the Worlds in December, and he got off to a great start against Dobey, taking the first set despite the Englishman's stunning 134 checkout.
Dobey capitalised as Anderson blew a 2-1 lead in the second set to level up, before taking the next two sets for the loss of just one set.

Wednesday Order of Play

Danny Noppert (NED) v Nathan Aspinall (ENG)

Dave Chisnall (ENG) v Stephen Bunting (ENG)

(2) Rob Cross (ENG) v Glen Durrant (ENG)

(7) Peter Wright (SCO) v Jermaine Wattimena (NED)

Draw
Section One
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) 3-0 3-1 3-1 Jeffrey de Zwaan (NED)
(8) James Wade (ENG) 3-2 2-3 1-3 0-3 Mervyn King (ENG)
(5) Michael Smith (ENG) 3-2 0-3 0-3 2-3 Ian White (ENG)
(4) Gary Anderson (SCO) 3-2 2-3 0-3 1-3 Chris Dobey (ENG)
=
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Mervyn King (ENG)
Ian White (ENG) v Chris Dobey (ENG)

Section Two
(2) Rob Cross (ENG) v Glen Durrant (ENG)
(7) Peter Wright (SCO) v Jermaine Wattimena (NED)
Dave Chisnall (ENG) v Stephen Bunting (ENG)
Danny Noppert (NED) v Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
=
v
v

Day One Results and Report
Day Two Results and Report

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BoyleSports World Grand Prix Darts, Day Two - Gurney and Price crash out, Cross and Wright through

Two of the seeds and favourites for the tournament Daryl Gurney and Gerwyn Price suffered upsets to Danny Noppert and Dave Chisnall as the first round of the World Grand Prix came to a close.

Photo from sportinglife.com

Stephen Bunting 2-0 Jonny Clayton
Stephen Bunting won a low quality affair to start the night beating Jonny Clayton in straight sets.
The Welshman began the match missing seven darts at double to start the first leg, putting him on the back foot from the outset.
The Bullet cashed in after checking-in with his second and completing the leg with ease, and a 72 checkout in the next put him in control of the set.
By the time the Ferret had hit his straps - throwing a 111 set-up shot in the third leg, Buntin took out tops to wrap up a whitewash first set.
Again Clayton struggled to get underway at the start of the set, and the St Helens thrower punished him again, finishing 96 for his fourth consecutive leg.
Clayton got off the mark with one of the few moments of quality from this affair, going out on 110 to stop the rot, but Bunting replied with a 13-dart leg to go one leg away from the second round.
A 64 checkout from Clayton levelled up the second set at 2-2, only for him to miss four darts for the set, allowing Bunting to seal the win.
The match lacked real quality, but further highlighted the importance of getting into the leg quickly - which Bunting did more regularly.

Vincent van der Voort 0-2 Nathan Aspinall
Nathan Aspinall dished out a drubbing against Vincent van der Voort to win 2-0.
The UK Open Champion profited on the Dutch Destroyer's six missed darts to take the first leg to hold his throw, before taking out 76 and 75 in subsequent legs to take the first set in the blink of an eye.
He opened the second set with a 13-darter, setting a tempo that van der Voort couldn't match.
Aspinall wasn't punished for needing four darts to get away in the second leg of the set, coming back with shots of 111 and 100 to drag himself back into the leg, only for van der Voort to get on the scoreboard with his only successful finishing double in 10 attempts.
Aspinall started 108 in the next leg, closing the leg on tops in 14 darts to round off a great performance by the US Darts Master.

Adrian Lewis 1-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Jermaine Wattimena upset two-time world champion Adrian Lewis with a comeback win.
The Machine Gun won four legs in succession from 2-2 in the second set, progressing beyond the first round for the second year in a row, adding the impressive scalp of Jackpot to his collection.
Lewis began the match with 160, 100 and 140, taking the first set 3-1 at a canter.
Wattimena then couldn't get into the deciding leg in set two, with Lewis starting 75 and 140 to establish a healthy lead, imagining he'd get plenty of darts to seal the win with the Dutchman way back.
But back-to-back 140s kept Wattimena in touch, checking out 50 in two darts to force the deciding set.
An 88 finish saw Wattimena take control, with all three of his darts at finishing doubles finding their target in that set, winning in clinical style.

Glen Durrant 2-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
Glen Durrant's debut season with the PDC is going from strength to strength, after coming from a set down to beat Krzysztof Ratajski on his debut at the World Grand Prix.
The three-time BDO world champion enjoyed a fairytale run to the World Matchplay semi-final, but made a sluggish start in Dublin, struggling to adapt to the double-in format, allowing the Polish Eagle to take the first set 3-0.
Ratajski, who has recently added the Gibraltar Darts Trophy to his list of tournament wins, was only halted from his clinical throwing with two missed darts at double 18 to take the second set to a deciding leg.
Duzza punished him to level the set score, and the same happened in the next set, this time the Pole missed two at double 19, allowing Durrant back to take out 98 to book his sport in the second round.
Both players averaged 84 and neither managed a 180, but Durrant's finishing was far superior, hitting six out of nine checkout double attempts while Ratajski missed seven of his 12

(3) Daryl Gurney 0-2 Danny Noppert
Danny Noppert produced the upset of the round, defeating former champion Daryl Gurney in straight sets.
SuperChin was 2-1 up in the first set, but missed five darts for the set across the next two legs, allowing Noppert to punish and take a set lead.
With Gurney out of sorts after losing the first set, the Dutchman raced through the second set without reply from the Northern Irishman to claim his first win on this stage.

(6) Gerwyn Price 1-2 Dave Chisnall
Dave Chisnall remains in the hunt for his first PDC major title - and managed to defeat one of the tournament favourites in the first round.
Gerwyn Price and Chizzy have been two of the form players this year - Grand Slam champion Price won his fourth tournament of 2019 on Friday in Dublin.
He managed to edge a high quality opening set against an ever popular opponent in Chisnall, who threw an 11-dart leg while the Iceman finished a leg in 12.
Averaging 100 at this point, the St Helens thrower continued in the same way to take set two 3-0, before holding his nerve on a 62 checkout to break Price's throw to go 2-1 up in the deciding set.
Price broke straight back in 14 darts to take the match to the sudden leg, but despite having the throw, he missed his first nine darts at the starting double, gifting Chisnall victory.
Chisnall himself has got three titles this season, including his first on stage in six years on the European Tour in Denmark, as well as hitting three perfect legs in 2019.
The 39-year-old averaged an impressive 92.5 considering the double-in format, while Price was some 13 points lower.
Chisnall's scoring was superior too, hitting five 180s to Price's one, though the Welshman was better on the finishing, pinning five in seven attempts while Chisnall missed six of his 14.

(2) Rob Cross 2-1 Mensur Suljovic
World Matchplay champion Rob Cross was made to work hard to break his World Grand Prix duck against Mensur Suljovic.
Suffering first round defeats to Steve Beaton in both 2017 and 2018, but the 2018 world champion may not have been relieved to be drawn against an opponent who reached the semi-finals of this event in three of the last four editions.
Voltage took the opening set 3-1, but nine missed darts at finishing doubles in the second, allowing the Austrian to take it 3-0 to force a decider.
The Gentle took the opening leg in set three in 14 darts on throw, but then missed his first four darts at a starting double, giving the initiative back to the Englishman.
Cross broke throw with a 14-darter before holding to seal the win - only after Suljovic missed two darts at tops to break.

(7) Peter Wright 2-0 Max Hopp
Peter Wright eased through to round two in a straight sets win against Max Hopp.
Snakebite - who was runner-up in Dublin 12 months ago - was a heavy favourite to beat the German due to his good form in recent months, including three consecutive titles prior to the World Matchplay, where he made the quarter-finals and he has also made four semi-finals on the tour.
The Maximiser can take solace from the fact that he took the Scot to a deciding leg in the first set, but Wright showed his class to take it in 14 darts.
The second set was more comfortable for Wright, though the final leg seemed to drag on for far too long - Hopp took 11 darts to get away and Wright missed four before missing six to finish it, eventually going out in 25 darts.

Tuesday Order of Play
(8) James Wade (ENG) v Mervyn King (ENG)
(5) Michael Smith (ENG) v Ian White (ENG)
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Jeffrey De Zwaan (NED)
(4) Gary Anderson (SCO) v Chris Dobey (ENG)

Draw
Section One
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) 2-3 3-1 3-1 Jamie Hughes (ENG)
Jeffrey de Zwaan (NED) 3-1 3-0 Steve Beaton (ENG)
(8) James Wade (ENG) 3-1 2-3 3-0 John Henderson (SCO)
Mervyn King (ENG) 2-3 3-1 3-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh (BEL)
=
(1) Michael van Gerwen (NED) v Jeffrey de Zwaan (NED)
(8) James Wade (ENG) v Mervyn King (ENG)

Section Two
(5) Michael Smith (ENG) 1-3 3-2 3-2 Simon Whitlock (AUS)
Joe Cullen (ENG) 3-0 2-3 0-3 Ian White (ENG)
(4) Gary Anderson (SCO) 3-0 3-2 Keegan Brown (ENG)
Ricky Evans (ENG) 1-3 1-3 Chris Dobey (ENG)
=
(5) Michael Smith (ENG) v Ian White (ENG)
(4) Gary Anderson (SCO) v Chris Dobey (ENG)

Section Three
(2) Rob Cross (ENG) 3-1 0-3 3-1 Mensur Suljovic (AUT)
Glen Durrant (ENG) 0-3 3-1 3-1 Krzysztof Ratajski (POL)
(7) Peter Wright (SCO) 3-2 3-1 Max Hopp (GER)
Adrian Lewis (ENG) 3-1 2-3 0-3 Jermaine Wattimena (NED)
=
(2) Rob Cross (ENG) v Glen Durrant (ENG)
(7) Peter Wright (SCO) v Jermaine Wattimena (NED)

Section Four
(6) Gerwyn Price (WAL)  3-2 0-3 2-3 Dave Chisnall (ENG)
Stephen Bunting (ENG) 3-0 3-2 Jonny Clayton (WAL)
(3) Daryl Gurney (NIR) 2-3 0-3 Danny Noppert (NED)
Vincent van der Voort (NED) 0-3 1-3 Nathan Aspinall (ENG)
=
Dave Chisnall (ENG) v Stephen Bunting (ENG)
Danny Noppert (NED) v Nathan Aspinall (ENG)

Day One Results and Report

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