In part two of our interview with Ireland coach Philip Doyle,
he reveals his aspirations for Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 and
gives us an insight into his 26-strong squad as they prepare to
face hosts England on 20 August.
READ PART ONE - DOYLE ON HIS RECENT APPOINTMENT AS HEAD
COACH >>
I think the girls have worked so hard and it is now a little
bit of down time and then we will build up a couple of days before
the World Cup, build up the tempo and we will hopefully have them
cooking against our friendly neighbours England.
This is the pinnacle of some of these girls' rugby
career, there will be retirements after this World Cup in the Irish
squad, there always is. They are in great form, they are a great
bunch of people and great to coach.
They love each other's company, they live together so
much in camps, they are the best of friends and this particular
group have really bonded actually early than I thought they would
have. I haven't had to do much team bonding exercises, they
just gel.
New players coming into the camp since the Six Nations have
fully integrated really quickly and got up to speed on how
everything is going. They are very open for change, very open for
new people, we don't have cliques in our camp, we know the job
has to be done and we are just getting on and doing it very
happily.
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This bond is vital. You are talking about going into the most
intensive weeks of anybody's life, four days and then you have
a match and the pressures of a World Cup.
It is a pressure cooker, you have to have the right
personalities in that squad to take the rough and the smooth, I
would like to think that we have it. You really have to be patient
at a World Cup, you have to know when to take the foot off the
accelerator and these girls know how to do that.
We have a lot of experience, we have got girls who were there
in '06, which was a very competitive World Cup, so they have
that experience and they will come through in this World Cup I am
sure.
Not everything is going to go right, we are going to pick up
injuries, there are going to be disappointments on that front but
it is all about a learning curve and trying to just take the rough
with the smooth and I think the players are there.
We have great, great character in the squad. We have good
strength, like the fighting Irish, we don't sit down for
anybody and that is what we are going to have to bring to this
World Cup.
Plenty to offer
We are a lot faster than people think, some people describe
us as we have a good set piece and that's about it, but we have
a lot more than that to give in this World Cup.
We have a good platform, good forwards these days, yes we do
have a decent unit base but you have to have that to play rugby, it
is only a starting point. We have a lot better footballing rugby
players now, a lot more intelligence about game awareness and
spacial awareness.
We are going to come and play our brand, we are going to play
the Irish brand of women's rugby and if that is good enough,
then that is good enough for me. We have got a lot to offer this
time around.
Our first game is against England and listen, any Irish
person going over to England to play England, it is a fantastic
match, always is in any sport, Ireland-England. We love playing the
English!
First and foremost they are an excellent side, Gary Street is
a friend of mine and a first class coach with great coaching staff
behind him. Utmost respect for him and the Irish girls have the
utmost respect for the English girls, without a doubt they are a
fantastic side but we always raise our game against England and I
think the English like playing Ireland.
A first for Ireland?
This is a World Cup so all friendships are way put aside onto
the sidelines until the final whistle. We are going out there to
win, we are not there to count the numbers. I think we have the
game to put it up to England.
I think England are under a bit of pressure, to be fair to
them I think they will admit that being the home nation, being on
Sky Sports, all that kind of stuff, they really have to turn it on,
but let's hope they don't turn it on that much and we can
put one over on them.
We haven't beaten them ever in our history but we have
come close and the scorelines have been coming down and down and
getting closer and closer as the years go on and I think this could
just be the one, please God. Highest utmost respect for England in
the game they play and they are going to have to stop us rather
than we stop them.
What a stage it would be to break that duck.
It is all there for us to do but we have got to think ahead,
we are not just thinking England. We have got America four days
later and then Kazakhstan and then we have to see where we go from
there. This is just one game, of course we have to turn it on but
at the same time it is only one of five games we have to play at
the World Cup.
Standards on the rise
It is a 12-team World Cup and I do expect an awful lot higher
standard than in '06 and I think we are going to get that, I
think it is going to be great for the Women's Game.
I know South Africa are on the way up, they are one team to
watch. They didn't have a great World Cup in '06 but I know
they have got their act together in a huge way and fair play to
them and that can only be good for the Women's Game in the
world.
I believe Australia are up to something as well, I believe
they have improved drastically, they have won the World Cup in
Sevens so that can only be good for their confidence going into
this World Cup.
You are looking at all the teams. Ireland have improved with
their results in the Six Nations, coming third in the last two
years. You look at these teams and you go where is everybody going
to fit, where are Ireland going to fit in there?
Time will tell but it is going to be a hugely interesting
World Cup, the calibre of teams has just gone from a really good
base where it was in '06 and I think we are just going to hit
all time records at this World Cup. I think it is going to be a
fantastic spectacle to watch.
Too close to call
The women do play an extraordinary good game, fast and
expansive, not as much kicking as the men's game which I
personally think is fantastic, ball in hand, let's go for it,
so get out there, come and watch, this is going to be a good
tournament.
It certainly isn't as clear cut as previous tournaments,
I mean Australia and South Africa, where are they going to fit? I
think the Canada's and USA's are going to find it a little
bit harder than usual, and then you have got France in there.
I couldn't call the top six, I really couldn't. I
hope Ireland are in there and I do believe we are good enough to
get into the top six.
I think this World Cup is going to be a different World Cup,
you are going to see a change in rugby powers coming through so
England and New Zealand without doubt have all the work to do, they
really do, I don't think this is going to be as clear cut as
some people think.
There are going to be a few nations knocking at the door.
Canada know how to turn it on in World Cups, I have seen it before.
We played them pre-2006 in a friendly in Galway, we beat them and
we thought we were on top of the world there I remember back then
and my word they were a different team when they came to the World
Cup.
Climbing the ladder
They know how to crack it on in World Cups, so they are a
team to watch without a doubt and I saw them play against America
and they were very impressive. It is just a tight one to call,
which is just great.
The Irish team, how it has come on in the last four years has
been impressive and we are undoubtedly a better side physically and
mentally.
I hate setting goals, and yes we would love to win the World
Cup, but at the same time we must be realistic. We finished eighth
last time, standing here now if we get better than eighth I will be
a very happy man, it is all about pushing up that ladder and
getting closer and closer.
I do think we are good enough to get to the finals, time will
tell. I keep saying that but time will tell. We are good enough to
get to the finals, after that let's just see how it goes. We
need to improve, just keep pushing the bar up.
