Ireland wing Anna McGann says “anything is possible” for her side against New Zealand but that they need to be “more clinical”.
Scott Bemand’s side will meet the World Cup holders in their final Pool C game on Sunday, with the winners of that game securing top spot and potentially a kinder quarter-final draw.
And while McGann is confident they can shock New Zealand, she knows Ireland will have to improve upon their display in their 43-27 win against Spain.
“Yeah definitely [Ireland can win], we didn’t just come here to show up, we came here to compete, and we want to be in that grand final in London, so anything is possible,” she told BBC Sport NI.
“We need to hold onto the ball and be more clinical in the contact zone. We were disappointed in ourselves at times [against Spain]. There were a lot of momentum shifts and I think we could make it easier for ourselves.”
McGann scored two of Ireland’s seven tries against Spain in Northampton but credited the work of the forwards in allowing her to get over the line twice.
“They were only me dropping them down over the line after the forwards did their work, but I think if you look at that and Amee-Leigh [Costigan] on the other wing as well, it shows how dangerous we can be.”