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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

England at the Aviva perfect prep for tilt at World Cup knockouts, says Ireland supremo Vera Pauw

Ireland boss Vera Pauw is targeting a place in the World Cup knockout stages next year - and would love to take on reigning European champions England at the Aviva Stadium in a final warm-up.

Pauw, 59, and her players guaranteed themselves a place in the finals in Australia and New Zealand next July and August by beating Scotland in a play-off on Tuesday night.

Having previously guided her native Holland to the European Championships in 2009 and South Africa to the 2016 Olympics, she insists Ireland's qualification is "10 times bigger".

READ MORE: Ireland boss Vera Pauw says there is no excuse for pro-IRA song celebrations

Pauw will meet with the FAI's chief operating officer David Courell next week to begin putting the logistics in place for the build-up to the finals and the finals themselves.

The draw takes place in Auckland in 11 days' time and Pauw will be present

"We need to see how the seeding goes," she said. "We're a European team in the FIFA rankings so we're higher than a lot of the teams that went to the World Cup before because they come from continents that are ranked lower.

"But South Africa went to the Olympics 52nd in the world rankings and they kept the USA in their half until the 94th minute.

"The seeding will be important to avoid the top European teams.

"If it's a FIFA ranking then we might be in a positive position for a better draw."

After holding world number two ranked Sweden to a draw and beating Finland and the Scots in the qualification campaign, Pauw is ambitious to go beyond the group stages.

"Yeah, we're not going there to be there and to enjoy Australia. We're there to win.

"That will always be the case."

FIFA are providing a two-week window for national squads before the finals, but Pauw is hoping to get her players together before then.

She would love to play England "at the end phase" of Ireland's preparations.

"We need to build it up, like we did last year, we built up our resistance and hopefully we can do that next year too," she commented.

"If we can fill the Aviva then I'm more than happy to play at the Aviva because we have qualified now.

"Tallaght will always be our home ground but it's now time to look at other options - maybe, if that is possible, to show ourselves to other areas of Ireland."

Meanwhile, Pauw insists there is "no rush" over sorting out her future as Ireland boss beyond next summer.

"I'm part of this and there are of course many things privately that are part of that, but it's very clear my heart is lying here," she said.

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