Speers wary of underdogs

Events back home have kept the attention off the Irish women who get their Olympic qualification underway in Beerschot, Belgium against France (12.30pm Irish time) today. Skipper Alex Speers is one of four survivors from the 2008 qualification tournament in Canada, which came a cropper with a shock loss to Italy. It was a harrowing experience for Speers but one which her side must draw from as they open their Olympic qualifying campaign with three ties against the so-called minnows of Mexico, France and Russia.

Any slip could jeopardise their campaign prior to the huge mini-league with Spain and Belgium that kicks in on day four of the competition, a situation the Railway Union club woman cannot bear to contemplate. “Four years ago, we looked up a lot to (eventual qualifiers) Korea and never really thought of Italy,”  she said. “ When it came to it, they were the side who did the damage. There are enough of us there to remember that heartache. It is something we never want to experience again.” Second seeds Ireland are far better prepared this time around, largely thanks to the squad being centralised to train intensively in Dublin. Although disappointed by a sixth-place finish in last summer’s Europeans, trips to play high-ranking opposition in Argentina and South Africa have served as perfect warm-ups, while the Irish also whitewashed today’s opponents France in a three-game series a couple of weeks ago. “Post-Europeans we turned a corner,” says Speers. “Training, matches, everything. We have got something from all of it. The pieces of the jigsaw are there. We just have to put it together. If we do, we will get the result.” Coach Gene Muller reckons Ireland have learned lessons from last summer’s European championships in Germanym not least on leaving no stone unturned in terms of preparation. “One of the mistakes of the Europeans is we didn’t have time at the venue. We made sure we trained and played matches in Beerschot, stayed at the same hotel, booked the same meeting rooms. There’s no unknowns for us going into it and you can’t understate the value of that.” Asked to discuss Ireland’s opponents, Muller reckoned a balancing act will dictate his side’s approach.