'why Ireland Should Target World Cup Semi-final'

Women's Rugby World Cup - Pool C: Ireland v Japan

Venue: Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Date: Sunday, 24 August Kick-off: 12:00 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC Two, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sport website and app.

Former Ireland skipper Nichola Fryday has joined BBC Sport arsenic a pundit for nan Women's Rugby World Cup. In her first column, nan retired erstwhile Exeter Chiefs subordinate explores what Ireland person sewage correct since failing to suffice successful 2021, players to look retired for and what to expect from Japan.

During nan past World Cup, Ireland watched pinch envy from location aft failing to suffice for nan first clip since 1991. Three years on, it's a different story. Not only are Ireland successful nan tournament, but I deliberation they should beryllium targeting a semi-final.

This would person been inconceivable a fewer years ago. I was connected nan transportation erstwhile we mislaid to Scotland successful nan World Cup qualifiers successful Parma successful 2021.

It was a acheronian clip for us, some connected and disconnected nan pitch. As a squad, we were moving full-time and beautiful overmuch training and playing full-time connected apical of that. We'd activity Monday to Friday, spell into campy connected Friday evening, do adjacent to 8 sessions and travel backmost retired connected Sunday nighttime earlier going backmost to activity connected Monday.

It was a stressful beingness and we didn't moreover person a World Cup to look guardant to astatine nan extremity of it.

Thankfully, things person since moved successful nan correct guidance since. With much finance and contracts for players, Ireland person reaped nan rewards. There person been back-to-back third-place finishes successful nan Six Nations and a promotion to WXV1, wherever we earned a memorable triumph complete New Zealand past year.

That triumph complete nan Black Ferns intends Scott Bemand's broadside must target first spot successful Pool C. If they do that, it would apt mean facing Italy aliases South Africa successful nan quarter-final and Ireland are tin of beating either.

That is each to come. For now, Ireland are focused connected facing Japan and, contempt immoderate high-profile injuries, nan squad is successful bully style earlier Sunday.

As has been well-documented, Ireland are without immoderate of their starting pack. Dorothy Wall and Erin King person some starred astatine world level precocious and were poised to make a awesome belief astatine this tournament, truthful losing them to wounded has been a large rustle successful nan build-up.

When we didn't suffice for nan World Cup, it was a corporate disappointment because nary of america were going. But to beryllium near astatine location injured is peculiarly devastating and I'm judge there's been acheronian days for some of them.

They're some young though and I'm judge they'll characteristic astatine early World Cups.

For me, nan return of Sam Monaghan is nan biggest portion of squad news.

If Sam hadn't been disposable for nan tournament, it would person been a wholly different outlook. She is that large a subordinate for this team. We don't telephone her 'Sammy Bill' Monaghan for nary reason.

Edel McMahon should besides beryllium backmost during nan tournament, truthful having some co-captains disposable is simply a immense boost.

There has evidently been a batch of talk astir Aoife Wafer's fitness, too, but getting her backmost successful nan squad will really fortify Ireland's chances aft her player-of-the-championship performances successful nan Six Nations.

There are a fewer Ireland players group should look retired for, too.

Beibhinn Parsons has returned from a surgery limb and has nan value to ray up this tournament. She sewage immoderate minutes successful nan warm-up gamers against Scotland and Canada but she didn't get overmuch ball, truthful group will not person seen what she tin really do.

Beibhinn has been successful nan Ireland set-up since she was 16 and pinch bully reason: she's 1 of nan champion wingers Ireland person ever had.

Another subordinate I'm excited to watch is Aoibheann Reilly astatine scrum-half. She had immoderate rotten luck pinch a mates of ACL injuries, but aft returning successful nan Six Nations, she tin shape an effective half-back business pinch Dannah O'Brien.

Of course, location are ever astonishment selections successful a World Cup squad and Nancy McGillivray wouldn't person been connected a batch of people's radars astatine nan commencement of nan year.

For me, she is simply a existent gem of a subordinate for Ireland to have. I cognize Nancy from our clip together astatine Exeter and I judge she has nan expertise to go a stalwart astatine centre for Ireland complete nan adjacent decade.

Scott has included Ellena Perry successful his squad, too, but there's nary questioning present ability. She's been astatine Gloucester-Hartpury for years, has won Premiership titles and will surely thrust nan standards of that Irish beforehand row.

Ireland haven't ever had nan biggest excavation of props to take from truthful having Perry's acquisition successful location is different plus.

As for nan Japan game, I'm expecting it to beryllium fast-paced and physical. Japan caput coach Lesley McKenzie has placed an accent connected nan conditioning of nan players successful nan lead-up to nan World Cup.

Japan are notorious for being a speedy team, but they person been moving difficult connected nan beingness broadside and I'm judge they will person thing up their sleeve erstwhile it comes to set-piece time.

They person a beardown beforehand row, too, particularly if Sachiko Kato is starting. I played pinch her successful Exeter: she's a beardown scrummager and is lethal astir nan tryline from 2 aliases 3 metres out.

For Ireland, it's astir playing smart rugby and outworking Japan but I person seen capable from our girls successful nan warm-up games to beryllium assured astir an opening triumph successful Northampton connected our return to nan biggest shape for nan first clip successful 8 years.

Nichola Fryday was speaking to BBC Sport NI's Matt Gault