Head coach Bryan Easson has been able to name one of his strongest squads to date, with Scotland heading into the match with what he describes as a \u201cclean bill of health\u201d after a positive training block.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really good to be able to have a full week\u2019s training with these guys,\u201d said Easson. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s a strong side, probably the strongest one that I\u2019ve been able to pick over my time with the national squad. So, yeah, pleased that it\u2019s come at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The return of experienced lock Emma Wassell and Sarah Bonar adds both leadership and power in the engine room. The pair last started together against Wales in Cardiff \u2013 a match Scotland memorably won, ending a 20-year drought. Easson knows what they bring.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrilliant around the group, but when you get them on the rugby pitch, they\u2019re a different animal,\u201d he said. \u201cThe options that that gives us, not just set piece-wise, but around the field, both in attack and defence, is a real bonus to have them for this
game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Up front, Lana Skeldon\u2019s return is also a boost. The hooker has battled back from injury, with captain Rachel Malcolm highlighting just how influential her presence is. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single time I\u2019ve had the opportunity to play alongside Lana, she\u2019s made a difference,\u201d said Malcolm. \u201cHer defensive organisation and chop tackling are massive for us, especially against a team who are going to be pretty direct with big
ball carriers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malcolm, who leads Scotland into her second World Cup, admits that while excitement is bubbling in camp, the focus has been laser sharp all week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve obviously got excitement bubbling, but it feels quite calm. It feels like we\u2019re ready,\u201d she said. \u201cTraining\u2019s been really sharp, probably the sharpest we\u2019ve had in the build-up.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s respect for Wales too, with both nations sitting close in the world rankings and having traded wins in recent years. Malcolm expects another fiercely contested battle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re both similarly matched in terms of world rankings,\u201d she explained. \u201cThey\u2019re probably a bit more direct, and we want to move the ball a little bit more, but ultimately, you\u2019ve got two teams who are immensely passionate and not willing to
give an inch. That\u2019s why you see those seesaw battles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sense of occasion is not lost on anyone in the Scottish camp. Malcolm says the team carry not only their own ambitions but also the responsibility of inspiring the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe represent Scotland women of past, present, and future,\u201d she said. \u201cTo be on this world stage at what is going to be the biggest World Cup women\u2019s rugby has ever seen \u2013 we know that is a big responsibility. It motivates us every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
With both sides viewing this opener as pivotal to progression, Saturday\u2019s clash promises intensity, passion, and fine margins. For Scotland, the chance to start fast in Salford could set the tone for the tournament ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Head coach Bryan Easson has been able to name one of his strongest squads to date, with Scotland…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365599,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5010],"tags":[748,1123,4884,16,15,1764],"class_list":{"0":"post-365598","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wales","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-featured","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom","13":"tag-wales"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115074505531193444","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}