Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe feels standards are improving with each round of international fixtures for the team ahead of the visit of Wales to Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday.
The visitors had to withstand some late pressure but came away with the draw amid some impressive individual performances.
Kiernan’s return plus Jess Ziu’s performance after almost two years on the sidelines was heartwarming to the Ireland captain.
After a strong Nations League showing and the breakthrough of reaching the World Cup, it is the ability of players within the group which is standing out most for McCabe.
McCabe said: "You see the levels have just gone up a notch each time we come into camp.
"I know we’re missing Denise [O’Sullivan], Sinead [Farrelly] and Tyler [Toland] but the introductions of Jess Ziu for example [shows our strength].
"She’s been out for 17 months and having her back was a real breath of fresh air. We have such young fresh and exciting talent.
"You see Izzy Atkinson getting her first start as well. And Abbie Larkin coming off the bench, Leanne Kiernan too. There are all these names being talked about which is so exciting for me.
"Because you can see the talent they have and now it is just about all of us getting up to the level of performing consistently each time we come in.
"And I feel like we’re really starting to get into a groove of that. We almost didn’t want to take a break after the Nations League because we were feeling really good.
"But at the same time, it was also nice to reset and refocus and come back here hungry for the next camp which will be Euro qualifiers."
'I want to be selling out Tallaght, I want to be selling out the Aviva in time' - Katie McCabe and Eileen Gleeson speak ahead of tomorrow's game against Wales, their last 'preparation' game ahead of Euro 2025 qualifiers@Corktod reports from Tallaght pic.twitter.com/PoxSgFETpp
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 26, 2024
Head coach Eileen Gleeson experimented with new tactics last Friday, adopting a back four with an extra sitting midfielder and support to the striker.
It remains to be seen what the approach is against the Welsh but Gleeson was happy with that she saw in Italy.
The Ireland boss explained: "It was a change in formation from what we used in the Nations League, but what we talk about is being adaptable and how we occupy space and not getting fixated on one particular formation.
"We'll have different squad members with different attributes. We'll have different opposition. We want to be able to adapt quickly whether we have a three or a five [in defence or midfield] or if we want to go to a four.
"That is what we tested out against Italy and I felt the girls did really well in that. You only have a short time with the girls in camp and players on different days from their clubs. It's a short time you spend on the pitch. The girls did brilliantly and I thought that was reflected well in the game."
Ireland will be hopeful of a victory to sign off the camp and ahead of the attempt to qualify for the European Championships for the first time.
Gleeson concluded: "We're expecting a really tough game. Wales have a lot of experience in League A.
"They didn't stay in but they have come up against a lot of top teams. We're expecting them to be very quick on the transition.
"They've got some real quality players like ourselves so we're expecting a tough test and a good benchmark in preparation for the Euros."
The visitors head to Dublin, having just appointed a new manager, with former Canada international Rhian Wilkinson replacing Gemma Grainger who resigned last month to become Norway head coach.
The 41-year-old won 183 caps for Canada between 2003 and 2017 and coached most recently at American club Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Wilkinson said: "It’s an incredible honour to be taking on the role of Cymru head coach.
"The team has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and I aim to build on that with our mission to qualify for next summer’s Euros and beyond.
"We have a group of players that are ready and deserve to be in major tournaments. I can’t wait to meet them and work with them.
"My mother is Welsh, and I spent part of my childhood growing up in south Wales, so I’m excited to involve myself with the country’s culture and explore that part of my roots even further."
In 2022, she was appointed head coach of Portland Thorns, whom she led to the NWSL title in her sole season in charge.
Wilkinson offered her resignation in December of that year after admitting she had "shared feelings" with a player. She was cleared of any wrongdoing by the NWSL but intimated that she had been asked to leave by the players.
Wilkinson will attend the friendly in Dublin on Tuesday and is set to take charge for the first time during the April international window.
Additional reporting: PA
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