Neve Jones says Ireland have no fear of playing England and the team are looking forward to testing themselves against one of the best in the world.
The five-in-a-row Women's Six Nations champions welcome Scott Bemand’s side, off the back of an impressive win over Wales, to Twickenham on Saturday afternoon (2.15pm).
The recent record between the teams is not pretty from an Irish point of view, losing the last two games 69-0 and 48-0, but the Gloucester-Hartpury hooker says it’s a tie they are looking forward to.
Two years ago, Ireland, then under head coach Greg McWilliams, managed to hold England to just two tries in the opening half before the floodgates opened in the second period.
Asked if there was any fear of facing the Red Roses, who reached the World Cup final in the last two tournaments, Jones said: "I don’t think so.
"We’re constantly growing as a team and we’ll do some analysis on them. We know what they bring.
"Last [time] we still held them to the half. It’s just what happens after the half and we’ll look at that this week and see what we can bring into that.
"I know quite a few of the English girls myself and same with the Welsh so it’s always nice to play against team-mates that you play with at club so we’re looking forward to it."
Jones was one of a number of stand-out performers in Ireland's 36-5 victory over Wales – their first championship win in two years – on Saturday.
The team won five lineouts from six throws over her 52 minutes, while the Ballymena woman made 14 carries and made eight tackles.
"It's something that we work on," said the 25-year-old of her own performance.
"We've got our skill ladder before sessions where we put in our individual work there.
"It's for me to sit back and decide what I want to work on that day, and in the sessions during the week.
"I can work on different bits depending on what the session looks like. It's great to see, and nice to be part of a team where I can put my best foot forward."
Jones, who won her 24th cap, was replaced by Clíodhna Moloney (below), the Exeter Chiefs player recalled after over two years in international exile.
"Clí is a brilliant player and I’ve always looked up to her from a very young age," said Jones.
"It's great to have her back in camp, she’s got a vast knowledge of experience.
"She really helps both myself and the other hookers that are in the team as well as the whole entire front row. So it’s great to have her there as the brains behind a lot of things."
After a frustrating defeat to Italy in round two, Jones said the team always believed that a performance like the five-try victory over Wales was close.
"I think we knew that it was coming, we just had to work hard together and we’ve done so," she added.
"We’re constantly pushing ourselves to be better so it's just finally clicking and it's nice to see and be part of.
"We play rugby to win and it's fantastic to see and it just helps spur us on for the next game.
"We came off a couple of good wins in [the WXV3 in] Dubai and the management had come in, and all the little things like that that have spurred us on.
"We've got to do our job when we take to the field and we really did that [against Wales]."
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