Ignoring the noise will be England’s formula in final

England’s approach to being clear favourites for their home World Cup was summed up by the slumber party they held on the Wednesday before their semi-final.

The team gathered for a movie night, watching Step Up - a noughties film about an underdog dancer having his day on the big stage - on the projector at their base.

It illustrates how England have aimed to ease the pressure as they seek to end an 11-year wait for a world title - and become world champions on home soil for the first time.

“It’s about ignoring the noise around them, making sure they do not care if they are favourites,” David Richardson, honorary visiting professor at Liverpool John Moores University in sports science and an experienced consultant in sports leadership, told BBC Sport.

“As long as you have an internal expectation to perform, then the result will look after itself. People will expect, but they are in the final having beaten good teams so it is about dispelling the myth.”

The final at Twickenham on Saturday might be between the two top-ranked sides on the planet, but world number ones England are heavy favourites.

Their last defeat was in the 2022 World Cup final, with the Red Roses having won all 32 matches since then under head coach John Mitchell, who took over following that agonising defeat by New Zealand.

England and Canada have faced each other 37 times - the English have won on 33 occasions, including their past 13 meetings across nine years. The Red Roses beat the Canadians in the 2014 World Cup final and the semi-finals in 2022.

Sarah Hunter was part of the winning team in 2014, captained England in the heartbreaking 2022 final defeat and is now their defence coach.

Having her experience around camp will be crucial in helping younger players deal with nerves.

“You have to trust in the process and the plan, and trust each other,” she said.

“I look back to 2014 when we won, and that day of the final everyone was really relaxed, really calm. Everyone knew what the role was, what they were going to go out and do. We didn’t need to make it any bigger.”