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’.”

Doyle, who is good friends with Street, has opted for the same starting 15 which accounted for New Zealand — prior to making 10 switches for Kazakhstan — with the only difference coming on the bench, where Hannah Casey replaces Jackie Shields.

England’s selection is more notable. Street made half a dozen changes to the side that stuttered so much against Canada — who face France at the same venue tonight in the second semi-final — with captain Katy Mclean returning at out-half. The Darlington No. 10 shipped a heavy tackle in England’s opening defeat of Samoa and was rested against Spain before returning off the bench against Canada. Ceri Large, who filled in during her absence, will provide back-up.

More surprising is the make-up of the back row, with the destructive Wasps back row Heather Fisher omitted from the matchday 22. Richmond’s Alex Matthews starts at blindside with Marlie Packer making the bench.

The England team was yet to be revealed yesterday as Doyle spoke to the media, but his words about the personnel his side will face carried even more weight once their line-up dropped. “They are lucky that they will have a selection headache in the back row, just like we did. They will have a selection headache in the second row and possibly their back three. There is talk over their out-half, but their second out-half is just as good as their first.”