Irish coach Doyle piles pressure on Red Rose

Their defeat of New Zealand last week has propelled Ireland into the limelight at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, but coach Philip Doyle insists the pressure lies with England ahead of tonight’s semi-final at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris.

England have lost the last three deciders, all to New Zealand. Coach Gary Street has admitted that the loss in 2010 — by three points — haunted him for some time. Street’s side just about avoided the Black Ferns’ fate in leaving France early when they salvaged a draw against Canada in the last pool game, and yet their past achievements and status in the game make them favourites for this latest chapter in an old rivalry.

“England are England,” said Doyle yesterday. “They are in their fourth semi-final in a row. There is massive pressure on them. Financial pressure. I don’t know the exact figures, but they are a beast of a nation, financially and everything else. It is where we would love to be and we are getting there, I’d like to think. This is our first time (in a semi-final) and they must be thinking ‘oof, they are actually better than we thought’.”