Packer thankful for 'tough' World Cup draw

England's Rugby World Cup pool campaign against Australia, the United States and Samoa is the ideal test if they want to lift the title next summer, their captain Marlie Packer says.

Australia, fresh from winning WXV2 earlier this month, were the highest-ranked team eligible to join top seeds England in Pool A, while the United States, who have reached the World Cup final three times, were the strongest side who could have filled the pool's third spot in Thursday's draw.

"It is a tough pool, but, with that, we will grow throughout the tournament," Packer told Rugby Union Weekly.

"We don't want to just be tested when it comes to semi-finals and finals. We want to be tested in those pool matches to make sure what we are doing is right and we are in the right space."

The draw sets up a reunion with former England captain Jo Yapp, who played at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Rugby World Cup and now coaches the Wallaroos.

The former Worcester Warriors Women director of rugby believes that hosting the tournament may not necessarily be an advantage for an England team who have lost in five of the past six finals.

"It is a tough draw, but one with loads of opportunities," Yapp said.

"For us, all the pressure is going to be on England, especially if we play them in the opening game. There is huge expectation on a team that hasn't lost going into this home World Cup and for us it is an opportunity to go out and express ourselves as a team.

"We know the crowds over in England will be huge and it will be the biggest World Cup, so all of that adds to the excitement."

Ireland co-captain Sam Monaghan, who is aiming to return to action in time for the Six Nations after suffering a serious knee injury in Gloucester-Hartpury’s PWR final win over Bristol in June, said Ireland could not afford to get carried away by their shock win over defending world champions New Zealand in WXV last month.

The two teams are paired together in Pool C, along with Japan and Spain, and have significant history - Ireland knocked New Zealand out of the 2014 tournament in another upset.

It was the Black Ferns' first defeat in the tournament in 23 years.

"It is such an exciting group," she told Rugby Union Weekly.

"We can take confidence from our performances in WXV but so much can happen in a year. We need to make sure we kick, keep improving and stay connected in this period up until the Six Nations."

Ireland failed to qualify for the last Rugby World Cup, after making the previous seven, and a large group of past and present players signed a letter to the Irish government in December 2021 explaining they had lost faith in the Irish Rugby Football Union.

However, under former England coach Scott Bemand, they have climbed from sixth in the 2023 Six Nations final standings to third this year, and claimed a victory over the United States after their win over the Black Ferns at WXV.

"This time last year, we had to have a lot of honest conversations and truths, being brutally honest with each other at times," said Monaghan.

"There is a great buzz now. We are willing to go to the ends of the earth for each other, and you can see how much we have grown off the pitch."