Women's Rugby World Cup: Ireland can inspire Wales - Harries

Wales Women celebrate beating South Africa, but they have never beaten New Zealand

Number eight Sioned Harries says Wales can take inspiration from Ireland when they meet New Zealand in the Women's Rugby World Cup.

Wales will play the Kiwis in a match between the fifth and eighth seeds on 13 August after a 35-3 win over South Africa when Harries scored a hat-trick.

She believes Ireland's shock 17-14 defeat of the Black Ferns gives Wales hope against the four-time winners.

"Ireland proved that they [New Zealand] are beatable," she said.

The winner of their match will progress to the fifth and sixth place play-off to be played at Stade Jean Bouin on Sunday, August 17.

The losers will go on to play in the seventh-eighth play-off on the same day.

Defending champions New Zealand were denied a place in the last four following England's draw with Canada.

Wales, meanwhile, recorded their first win in the pool stages since 1998 with a bonus-point win over South Africa.

Harries was thrilled with the result, and felt it was reward for the hard work put in by the Wales players and management.

"The hat-trick's the icing on the cake really - it was the win we wanted more than anything else," she said.

"We came with a goal of top eight and this was the game that could secure that for us.

"When I scored that [hat-trick] try and turned to look at the scoreboard the feeling was 'finally, finally, we've done it'.

"We proved what we can do [and] the performance we've put in has finally paid off on the scoreboard."

Wales will now play New Zealand at Stade Jean Bouin, the home ground of Stade Français.

Looking ahead to the match against the Black Ferns, Harries said Wales would not change anything about their approach.

"It's a little bit of déjà vu because we faced New Zealand Australia and South Africa two years ago," she said.

"We'll go through same structures same routines and go hell for leather and hopefully get a result."

And she added Ireland's victory had shown others the way to take on the New Zealanders.

"Ireland showed a lot of passion, played to their strengths and that game has given a lot of other teams a boost.

"It shows there's no reason why teams like us can't go out there and perform and come away with a win against them."

Ireland Women were the first to beat New Zealand Women at a World Cup since 1991