By Carl Markham, PA Sport

England women's Australian coach Tricia Heberle will feel no pangs of patriotism when her side line up against the Hockeyroos in Thursday's semi-final.

The West Australia-born coach, who played for the national side at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and World Cups in 1983 and 1986, has fully embraced her adopted country and is ready to knock her compatriots out of the competition.

Heberle has been England coach for more than 18 months and has the advantage of having already played Australia twice in the Korea Telecom Cup in Seoul last year. So for her tomorrow is all about what her team can do.

After the 6-1 demolition of Scotland, the whole squad is on high as they prepare to face the defending champions, who are also Olympic and world champions.

"I think I got over any butterflies I was going to have in Korea," she told PA Sport.

"Last year I thought I was going to feel some huge emotional tug but the only time I felt strange was on the first day when they played the Aussie anthem and then we had Land of Hope and Glory which I had never really heard of because I had only heard the national anthem.

"But you get over that. I'm a professional and I have embraced my girls. I think they are fantastic and I won't be spending time looking over my shoulder tomorrow.

"I'm just really excited at the prospect because the only way we can keep testing and measuring ourselves is to be in situations where we play the very best teams.

"Australia have been coasting along in the other pool and haven't been tested and that would concern me if I was the coach.

"It has been very easy for them. They are the top-ranked team and have much to lose - we are the underdogs and I think that is a good position to be in.

"I think we got a lot of confidence from today's performance and I hope we carry that momentum forward into tomorrow and anything is possible."

England totally outclassed Scotland - who had only one shot on target all game - as Ipswich forward Leisa King hit a hat-trick.

They led 2-0 at half-time through King and Olton's Helen Grant and the Ipswich player completed her treble after the break with Manchester-born Kate Walsh and Sarah Blanks also on target. Samantha Judge scored a consolation goal for the Scots.

The only low-point was the unavailability of Lucilla Wright, who last night was admitted to hospital with an infected graze on her shoulder.

Heberle was impressed with the squad's attitude in a game which had been played in driving rain throughout.

"I thought the quality of some of our work was very, very good and I was particularly pleased we got back to our passing game.

"I think the girls rose to the challenge and it was a very convincing performance.

"All you can ask for from your players is to have a go and try and do the things that I require from the performance and I have every confidence we are capable of doing that tomorrow," added Heberle.

"Australia will be fast, physical, open and attacking and I will be very surprised if it is not exciting, end-to-end hockey.

"England have been Australia's bogey team so it is not a matter of whether it is achievable, it is whether it is going to be tomorrow."

Scotland coach Mike Gilbert admitted they had been beaten by a better team but he took some heart from his squad's performance in the tournament.

"England have been inconsistent so we went into the game full of hope," he said.

"They played well and, though I am disappointed, we have made some progress during the competition."

Scotland will now face South Africa in the play-off for fifth place tomorrow.