SCOTLAND coach Bryan Easson has named an unchanged starting line-up – and an unchanged bench – for Saturday’s TikTok Women’s Six Nations match against Wales. Easson’s team lost 58-7 to England in last week’s opening round of the Championship, but he believes that, against the top-ranked team on the planet, his players did well enough to merit reselection en bloc.
“We felt the performances from the starting 15, and also the replacements who brought a lot of energy, was enough to give them another opportunity to show some of the green shoots that we showed last week against England,” said Easson, who is still without three senior forwards – Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar and Jade Konkel-Roberts – because of injury. “It is an opportunity to continue that into the Wales game this weekend.
“I think from an attack point of view we fired some good shots. However, we can be a little more clinical when we get opportunities. From a defensive point of view we had some really good sets and England did have to work for everything that they got. We did put them under pressure, especially that first 20 and last 10.
“We’ve reviewed quite closely. We’ve taken a lot of the positives from that, and we put it into this weekend.”
Wales were convincing 31-5 winners at home to Ireland last week, while that loss in Newcastle was Scotland’s tenth defeat in a row. But Easson’s team have beaten the Welsh in recent seasons, and the coach is hopeful that a vociferous home crowd at the DAM Health Stadium will help his team end that losing run.
Scotland (v Wales at the DAM Health Stadium, Saturday 5.30pm): C Rollie; C Grant, E Orr, M Smith, F McGhie; H Nelson, C Mattinson; L Bartlett, L Skeldon, C Belisle, L O’Donnell, L McMillan, R Malcolm (captain), R McLachlan, E Gallagher. Substitutes: J Rettie, A Young, E Clarke, E Donaldson, E Sinclair, M McDonald, B Blacklock, E Musgrove.