Irish captain Mary Logue has amassed enough experience in the course of her 11 year international career to know it's wise not to get carried away by a few good results but Ireland's recent displays against the USA in San Diego have, at the very least, given a glimpse of their potential just three weeks ahead of the Olympic Qualifier in Milton Keynes.
Two wins and two draws, including Monday night's 3-0 victory in a full international, against the eighth ranked team in the world - who they meet in their second pool match at the Qualifier - has left morale in the Irish camp at a level rarely experienced by Logue since she made her senior debut in 1989. "The feeling of elation we had when we beat the States 3-0 was, we all said afterwards, only a fraction of how we would feel if we qualified for Sydney - I think we'd all be in total shock for weeks," she said. "Of course I'm cautious, just because we beat them 3-0 doesn't mean we'll do it again in Milton Keynes, but the important thing is we now know what we are capable of when we get it right." "Everything clicked in San Diego, hopefully it will keep clicking for another three weeks. Everyone was so determined and we just got better and better in each game. We had been guilty of giving away soft goals but the defence was excellent and as a team we defended really well."
Logue won her 142nd cap against the USA on Monday and, fitness permitting, could reach the 150 mark in Ireland's final game at the tournament. The prospect of the Hermes midfielder scoring a dramatic last minute winner in that game to clinch her country qualification for the Olympic Games appeals. "I'd settle for that alright," she said.
All bar one of the squad has taken either paid or unpaid leave to go full-time in the final run-in to the tournament and will train daily at Belfield. They meet Japan in Belfast on March 18th and 19th in two official internationals before departing for Milton Keynes where they will open their campaign against India on March 25th.
None of the squad will be involved in this weekend's Senior Interprovincial tournament at Bangor, where Ulster will defend the trophy they won last year in Galway. Former internationals and Portadown team-mates Jeanette Turner and Alison Vance will make their final appearances for the province for whom home advantage should make them favourites to retain the title, despite being without the nine Ulster players named in the Irish squad for Milton Keynes. Ulster open the tournament against Connacht this afternoon while another former Irish player, Michelle O'Sullivan, makes her Interprovincial comeback for Munster against Leinster in today's second match. Leinster, without seven Irish players, should still provide a strong challenge to the hosts.
