JUST BRING IT ON
Ireland are relishing their clash with Aussies, insists Tierney
IRELAND begin their Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign against Australia at the UCD Bowl this evening (kick off 7.00pm) knowing there is no room for error if they are to match the achievements of three years ago when a historic 17-14 win over New Zealand in France helped secure a semi-final place for the first time.
Tom Tierney’s side face three games in just nine days and start the tournament ranked fifth in the world, just one place ahead of this evening’s opponents and one place behind France, who they face in a potential group decider tomorrow week.
A meeting with Japan on Sunday should allow the coach rotate his 28-strong squad to an extent, given the quick turnaround, but with only one team likely to qualify from Pool C, victory this evening is essential for Ireland.
Tierney has retained 11 of the team beaten 34-7 by England in the Six Nations decider at Donnybrook on St Patrick’s Day with second row Sophie Spence the surprise omission.
In the absence of injured skipper Niamh Briggs, Hannah Tyrrell switches to full-back and Eimear Considine gets the nod on the right wing where she will earn just her third cap.
In the pack, Cliodhna Moloney is preferred to Leah Lyons at hooker, Paula Fitzpatrick moves from No8 to second-row at the expense of Spence, while Ashleigh Baxter and Heather O’Brien come into the back row alongside new captain Claire Molloy.
Lyons, Spence and Ciara Griffin, who all started against England, have been named on a strong replacements bench, with Tierney expecting all 23 players to contribute against a physical Australian outfit.
‘They play a very confrontational game. They have a very big, aggressive pack. They like to use big ball carriers off nine and off 10 and use a good phase-play type of attack,’ said Tierney. ‘They have brought in a lot of quality Sevens players who have won Olympic medals and they’re going to be champing at the bit.
‘That’s a great challenge for us as a team. We’re under no illusions that Australia have a lot of big stars coming into their team and it’s something that we’re relishing. On the surprise switch of Fitzpatrick, Tierney said: ‘Paula has played a lot of games in the second row and for the type of game that we want to play, she is a very athletic and strong woman. She also has the attributes of a back-row so it’s a really good complement between herself and Maz (Marie Louise Reilly) in the second row.’
Six-foot, three-inch Reilly is one of the tallest players in the tournament and the Old Belvedere second-row hopes the tournament can help the growth of the women’s game in Ireland.
‘My nieces would have come to the World Cups in England and France and got to see that it wasn’t just their mad auntie that was playing different sports,’ said Reilly.
‘They have since gone on and played the game themselves and my brother is the director of women’s rugby in Listowel as a result of that.
‘I think when you can have that kind of knock-on effect and you have it in your home country, it will be massive,’ she continued.
‘If we can get a good result against Australia, we can create massive interest and get the backing and support of the Irish people,’ added the second-row.
The teams have had contrasting preparations over the summer, with Ireland playing two uncapped friendlies against Spain in Cork last week while Paul Verrell’s Wallaroos shipped heavy defeats against the top three teams in the world in England, New Zealand and Canada in a four team tournament in New Zealand in June which the coach used to blood some new talent.
‘Nine changes since the last game against Canada in June but the Sevens players have come in. I think we have a good mix of youth and some older players that I think will challenge Ireland,’ said Verrell yesterday.
‘All the pressure is on them — they’re the home nation hosting the World Cup — if we’re in front in the last 10 or 15 minutes, all the pressure is on them and that’s what we will be aiming to do.’
The 12 participating countries will all be in action in UCD today with England and Spain getting proceedings under way at 2.0pm.