Coghlan looks to Six Nations for World Cup boost

Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan believes a fast start to the RBS Women’s 6 Nations is essential if her team are to have not just a successful championship but also achieve qualification for next year’s World Cup in France.

With France and England already qualified and two more places for the Six Nations teams up for grabs based on aggregate results of the 2012 and 2013 championships, the Leinster prop said three victories would be needed for Ireland to book their 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup place.

That means securing a first win in Wales for eight years on Sunday week when Coghlan is due to lead Ireland into their opening game in Aberavon.

“It’s really important because it’s a World Cup qualification year and that’s our primary aim. There’s been a lot said about us playing England and France at home but to be honest we haven’t looked past Wales. “We’ve had difficulty going there in the past and winning so our priority is going there to win. That’s always tough, the last time we did win there was 2005 so it’s not great record and we have to turn that around.

“To get a good start is vital and realistically we have to win three games to make sure that we’ve World Cup qualification, so we have to start well.”

Coghlan was captain for Ireland’s best Six Nations campaign a year ago with wins over Wales, Italy and Scotland and a one-point defeat in France before England spoiled a Triple Crown bid.

This year’s schedule sees England visit Ashbourne RFC on February 9, and Coghlan is hoping the home support can help lift Ireland to new heights at the Meath ground the Irish women are happy to call home, most recently last weekend in a 39-7 warm-up win over Spain.

“It’s very much home, we’ve been there for the last number of years and it’s brilliant,” says Coghlan. “The club fully get behind it, the pitch is second to none and the crowd are very vocal.

“But it’s intimate, almost like the crowd are with us on the pitch and it really drives us on. We just get such a welcome there, we love playing there, we really do.

“We have turned France over before there but we haven’t beaten England there yet, but it is brilliant having supporters there to drive you on.”