Alison Miller is hoping that home support will fuel Ireland’s bid for Women’s Rugby World Cup glory in the same way that an unshakable self-belief helped them create one of the biggest shocks in rugby history at France 2014.

Ireland’s women entered the history books when they became the first Irish national team to beat New Zealand at any level at Marcoussis, ending the Black Ferns’ unbeaten record at 20 matches in the process and handing them only their second loss in WRWC history.

Miller’s stunning try in the left corner following full-back Niamh Briggs’ run from deep was key to the 17-14 win which ultimately saw Ireland qualify for the semi-finals for the first time. Highlights of that game have been viewed over 100,000 times on World Rugby’s YouTube channel.

“What people might not have noticed is that I’d probably run around about 200 metres before the try, going back and forth across the pitch. I was tying up and I didn’t think I was going to get to the line because I was fading," Miller revealed.

While eventual champions England proved too powerful in the last four, winning 40-7, the Black Ferns result did wonders for interest in the game back home in Ireland.

“It really promoted interest in women’s rugby. It is amazing to think that there are now girls training in our squad, like Eve Higgins, who watched that game as a supporter and came to see us arrive home at the airport. I suppose it kind of put us in the limelight," Miller said.

HUGE INTEREST

Participation levels are at an all-time high in terms of the number of girls playing the game in Ireland, while interest from all quarters is such that tickets for the pool games at WRWC 2017 in Dublin, with a total capacity of over 16,000, sold out well over two weeks in advance of the first ball being kicked on 9 August.

As role models to the youngsters playing the game, Miller and her team-mates have been involved in promotional activities such as the WRWC 2017 Trophy Tour, heightening awareness even further.

“Us Irish, we’re the best in the world for getting behind our teams whatever the sport, so the fact that there’s a Women’s Rugby World Cup here has created a buzz,” she said.

“It puts an increased spotlight on the game and on the players, but you have to be professional and not get distracted by it. Our preparation has remained the same.

“Going around the country and showing the Women’s World Cup to people who might not have seen it before or wouldn’t have known about it, and for the young girls to see what they might be playing for in a few years’ time, can only be a positive thing.”

With home support comes increased expectation and pressure – something that Ireland did not have to deal with when they shocked the world in 2014.

HISTORIC TOURNAMENT

“It was an historic tournament for Ireland. We went into that Women’s World Cup probably in the best place that Irish women’s rugby had been after 2013 (Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam-winning year) and although we didn’t win in 2014, we performed well.

“We trained really hard that summer and were really fit and united and had a good structure and support and management team.

“Even so, nobody from the outside would have expected us to get out of the group let alone beat New Zealand. All the pressure was on them, not us, but we had this real sense of self-belief that stemmed from what we’d done leading into the tournament.

 

“After getting through a tough game against the USA, we knew we had to beat New Zealand to progress further. I remember before the game, we came in and said, ‘right, this is happening.’ To go and do it and actually beat them was an amazing feeling.

“It was tight game, tit for tat, and against a great team like that with threats from one to 15, you cannot relax for a single second.

“When that final whistle was blown, everyone was ecstatic, it was such a huge thing for us to achieve.”

TOUGH POOL

This time around, Pool C rivals Australia, Japan and France stand between Ireland and a place in the last four.

Injury prevented Miller from appearing in two WRWC 2017 warm-up games against Japan and she has little personal knowledge of the opposition – other than fellow Six Nations protagonists France.

“They are three very good sides. People say to me, ‘that’s a tough group,’ but they all are, no group is going to be easy. 

“We don’t know that much about Australia because they don’t play that many tests, but they are a good rugby nation and have a good history at the Women’s Rugby World Cup and they’re going to be a good side.

“Japan’s men obviously caused a huge upset at the last Rugby World Cup and they’ll be looking to do the same at this one. They are very fit and well-organised and will obviously be a threat as well. We know that from having played them recently.

“Obviously we know a lot about France. Some years we beat them and some years they beat us. We had the historic win (13-10) over them at Donnybrook last year but they beat us narrowly in the third-place play-off at the last tournament. It is probably going to be another close game.

“You have to be at your best in every game to win a World Cup, there is no margin for error."