by Our Sports Desk

Mark Sampson said yesterday that he expects an attack of nerves to strike his players before Tuesday’s World Cup opener against France but he would not have it any other way.

The match promises to be England’s toughest Group F test, with Mexico and Colombia to follow, as Sampson pits his wits against Philippe Bergeroo’s richly talented team.

France defeated England on penalties at the quarter-final juncture of the 2011 World Cup, and 3-0 in the Euro 2013 group stages, and start among the most strongly fancied teams to lift the trophy in Canada.

England have similar enthusiasm for the tournament that begins today, with the hosts playing China in the opening game.

Sampson says he would have refused the job when offered it by the Football Association in December 2013 if he did not believe the Lionesses could be successful under his leadership.

However it promises to be a twitchy time when it comes to the final minutes in the dressing room before tackling France in Moncton, as all the hard work of the last 18 months goes on the line.

“I’ll be in game mode and I’m sure the players will be as well but of course they’ll have nerves,” Sampson said.

“If I looked around the changing room and saw a group of players who were relaxed and treating it like just another day in the office, I’d probably be concerned.

“These players are competitive animals and they want the pressure. They don’t want to be sitting at home watching this game. They want to be the ones with the responsibility of the journey and to know they can affect the result.

“I think the players will be excited by that pressure.

“I’ll be sitting down with a few nerves but real excitement and that real sense of opportunity that we’ve got a chance to get a result and be the ones who take responsibility for getting that result.

“We’re looking forward to it without a shadow of a doubt and we’ll be ready for it, I’m really confident in that.”

Sampson was one of several candidates the Football Association considered before settling on their choice as the permanent successor to Hope Powell.

John Herdman, Canada’s County Durham-born coach, was also strongly linked with England but the prospect of leading the hosts into the World Cup made that a non-starter.

Sampson had been a success with Bristol Academy in the Women’s Super League and the 32-year-old Welshman knew taking on the England job was a major step up in his career. He had previously coached with Swansea’s academy and managed Welsh minnows Taff’s Well.

“The opportunity to work with the national team was a great one and one I was excited by and the big decision I had to make after the decision I was willing to leave Bristol was whether I felt i could be successful and that was the big one,” Sampson said.

“I certainly wouldn’t have taken it if I didn’t think I could be successful.”