The 'green wave' is rolling now.
Ireland weren't perfect, but as close in an opening-round game as you can get.
And when the sound of Brittany Hogan’s boombox, banging out The Killers and Cranberries tunes from the Franklin’s Gardens dressing rooms, eventually died down, there will have been a collective smile of contentment shared across the faces of the Ireland squad and management.
It’s one thing to insist everything is in order across a long and winding training block, which saw Edel McMahon and Aoife Wafer in various states of disrepair, and two contrasting warm-up games leaving as many questions as answers, and another thing to issue a statement performance on cue.
They can feel extremely satisfied with their day’s work in a hot and clammy Northampton venue.
The squad have been in each other’s company for the best part of three months so a little bit of over-familiarity could be forgiven.
But they couldn’t have looked any fresher running out onto the immaculate turf carpet at the home of the Saints.
No hanging around either, the 12 noon kick off meant the team had to get straight into it, and boy, did they.
McMahon (above) was asked how they made sure to get to the right pitch at the right time.
"[It’s] how we’ve gone after training, how we’ve dealt with the morning – get up and go, be deliberate with our actions ‘cos that good practice off the pitch leads on to [the pitch]," said the co-captain, who played 75 minutes upon her return from a knee injury and showed no ill effects.
"We went after noise, players going through the tunnel, deviating off into two groups, talking about that fast start and going after it at training.
"Just changing a little bit of our training ID to target a fast start.
"It was really rewarding to know that when we set out stuff to go after that we can actually do it a week later."
Scott Bemand’s side raced into a three-try lead, the backs working two superb scores either side of a lineout maul try, with out-half Dannah O’Brien spraying the ball around with mature assurance.
Amee-Leigh Costigan grabbed Ireland’s first World Cup try in eight years.
"Gosh, just feel so privileged and honoured," said the Tipp flyer after the 42-14 Pool C victory.
"The hard work of the forwards in the middle of the pitch and then Stacey [Flood] gives me an early ball, which I just backed myself to do what I got to do.
"There were such great performances from everyone out there. We embraced the challenge and we walked towards it.
"That's what's super special about this group, that we didn't shy away from this World Cup knowing we hadn't been at the last one.
"I was just so proud of the girls and so proud of how we did it."
The theme of the squad’s preparations since gathering has been the ‘green wave’, the want to bring the whole country along on their journey.
That journey has had many ups and downs over the years, from the heartbreak in Parma, the letter stating a loss of confidence in the IRFU, to the wooden spoon in 2023, this victory must have felt cleansing.
"Acknowledging what’s gone before has been part of the growth of the squad and how we’ve gone after the cultural element, because things have not been all rosy in an Irish camp in the last couple of years," added McMahon, who played in the loss to Spain in 2021.
"Things unsaid are what can be a danger to the squad so anything that’s creeping in, whether it’s nerves, addressing the fact that this is our first campaign in a World Cup, what the past has been like for us, it’s tackling those as a squad [and it] kind of showed through in how we’ve gone after things."
Japan must have felt they were about to turn back the tide when they scored early in the second half and looked sure to add a third try a few minutes later and bring the game back to a single score.
Then came the real killer, with the superb Eve Higgins spotting an intercept chance and running the length of the pitch.
Sam Monaghan, speaking in the mixed zone after the game, hadn’t seen a replay but the sound of the crowd was still ringing in her ears as the centre raced clear.
"I just made the tackle and I heard this almighty roar," she said. "When I saw her going, I was like, ‘good woman, Eve’, and she kept going.
"I didn’t see what happened but I’ll look back at it. I think I had my head at the bottom of a ruck."
Some old issues, however, did surface and the loss of four lineouts in the first half is a concern. There were two overthrows and two not straight.
"I'm incredibly confident in our set-piece," said Bemand. "I’m delighted we managed to get a maul try.
"There are some things we set out to do in games, as you know if you’re getting penalties, you get ins, and you’ve got a maul that can score tries, it’s a fantastic opportunity.
"Overall I'm largely happy with how it’s been tracking over the last two pre-season games and this.
"There are some things to tighten up, same with attack, same with defence, kicking strategy, we’ll go after ourselves this week."
It's Spain, who lost 54-8 to New Zealand yesterday, next up for Ireland in six days' time and try-scorer Béibhinn Parsons says they won't use the 8-7 loss in Italy in 2021 as motivation, pointing out the 15-13 WXV3 win two years ago to show recent clashes between the teams have been close affairs.
"We had another hard-fought game against them since then and we came out on top," she said.
"This is a new group and a whole new experience for us, a World Cup and I don't think we’ll be bringing in any hangover from before.
"This is a fresh start for us and we are going to come out firing against Spain."
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