On the other hand, it’s hard to see how the team prepares for the All-Blacks next weekend with an out-of-window fixture where they can only field a side with home-based players. Some prep is better than no prep, maybe?

Stafford McDowall takes on the captaincy once again, having led Scotland in the summer against the Māori All Blacks and previously versus Portugal last autumn. It’s another chance for him to build on that leadership role within a squad still feeling out its depth ahead of sterner tests to come.

Gregor Townsend’s first selection of the season includes a couple of fresh faces. Edinburgh back-rower Liam McConnell makes his debut, starting at blindside flanker, while his clubmate Harri Morris is in line for a first cap from the bench. Both impressed for Emerging Scotland last year and now get their shot in the senior setup.

Kyle Rowe is at fullback, while skipper McDowall links up in midfield with Ollie Smith, while Jamie Dobie starts at scrum-half and takes on vice-captaincy duties alongside his half-back partner Adam Hastings.

Huw Jones is recovering from surgery, but the first choice 9-10-12 of White, Finn and Sione are can’t feature until next week at the earliest.

Up front, new cap McConnell joins Dylan Richardson (is he a hooker, is he not?) on the flanks with Jack Dempsey back at No.8 for his first appearance since the Six Nations. Lion Scott Cummings also wears the vice-captain armband and pairs with Marshall Sykes in the engine room. The front row features Rory Sutherland, Patrick Harrison and D’Arcy Rae – the latter making his first Scotland start after a string of strong club performances.

The bench sees another new cap in Edinburgh’s Harri Morris joined by fellow front-rowers Nathan McBeth and Murphy Walker, with Alex Samuel and Max Williamson providing second-row cover. Edinburgh captain Magnus Bradbury returns to a Scotland matchday squad for the first time since 2022, while George Horne and Ross Thompson offer pace and control from the replacements.

As is normal with the “extra” fixture, it’s a mix of opportunities and unfamiliar combinations – classic autumn fare from Townsend. The USA might not offer the toughest test on paper, but for debutants like McConnell and Morris it’s still got the feel of a big afternoon at Murrayfield.

Scotland: Kyle Rowe, Darcy Graham, Ollie Smith, Stafford McDowall (capt), Duhan van der Merwe, Adam Hastings, Jamie Dobie; Rory Sutherland, Patrick Harrison, D’Arcy Rae, Scott Cummings, Marshall Sykes, Liam McConnell, Dylan Richardson, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Harri Morris, Nathan McBeth, Murphy Walker, Alex Samuel, Max Williamson, Magnus Bradbury, George Horne, Ross Thompson.

USA: Erich Storti, Mitch Wilson, Dominic Besag, Tommaso Boni, Toby Fricker, Chris Hilsenbeck, Ruben de Haas; Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Kaleb Geiger, Pono Davis, Marno Redelinghuys, Jason Damm, Viliami Helu, Cory Daniel, Paddy Ryan.
Replacements: Sean McNulty, Payton Telea-Ilalio, Maliu Niuafe, Tevita Naqali, Makeen Alikhan, Ethan McVeigh, Tavite Lopeti, Luke Carty.

The post Scotland vs USA: McDowall to captain as Van der Merwe hits 50 caps appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.

Among the new faces are Liam McConnell, Harri Morris and Alexander Masibaka. McConnell captained Emerging Scotland against Italy last year, while hooker Morris also featured in that match. Masibaka toured with Scotland in the summer and now looks set for a proper crack at senior Test level. All three are part of a growing pool of young forwards Townsend has been quietly bedding in over the past year. Will he be able to unlock a new generation of aggressive men up front to complement the dazzling backline? Can anyone?

Sione Tuipulotu returns from his Lions exploits to captain the squad, a role he would have held in the 2024 Six Nations if not for injury.

Edinburgh skipper Magnus Bradbury makes a long-awaited return to the Scotland fold, having last played for the national side on the 2022 tour to Argentina. He joins a loaded back-row group alongside Jamie Ritchie, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, Andy Onyeama-Christie, Josh Bayliss, Gregor Brown, and the uncapped duo McConnell and Masibaka.

In the second row, Scott Cummings is back from Lions duty and will link up with Glasgow teammates Max Williamson and Alex Samuel, plus Edinburgh stalwarts Grant Gilchrist and Marshall Sykes. Gregor Brown may well find a home in the second row if he’s used as a utility off the bench.

At hooker, George Turner returns from Japanese exile and heads a group that includes Edinburgh trio Ewan Ashman, Patrick Harrison, and Harri Morris, with Dylan Richardson also rewarded for strong form in the back row where he’s been playing for Edinburgh but is likely to find more use as a hooker for Scotland as Ashman has not yet made the shirt his own.

The mighty Zander Fagerson returns to the squad after his Lions tour was cut short through injury, joining a front-row unit featuring Pierre Schoeman, Rory Sutherland, Nathan McBeth, Murphy Walker, D’Arcy Rae, and Elliot Millar Mills.

As you would expect, the backs have a familiar look. Duhan van der Merwe, closing in on his 50th cap, is joined by Darcy Graham, Kyle Steyn, Arron Reed, Blair Kinghorn, and Kyle Rowe as the back-three options. The midfield features Rory Hutchinson – who will reunite with new Scotland defence coach Lee Radford – , Sione Tuipulotu, Stafford McDowall, Ollie Smith, and Tom Jordan (now at Bristol), giving Townsend plenty of flexibility between power and playmaking. The big name to miss out is of course Huw Jones who is recovering from surgery.

At fly-half, Finn Russell, Adam Hastings, and Fergus Burke offer three contrasting approaches, while Ben White, George Horne, and Jamie Dobie continue as the established scrum-half trio.

With four Tests on the bounce, managing workloads will be key, and Townsend clearly wants to get a proper look at some of the younger forwards coming through. The inclusion of players like McConnell and Masibaka suggests the long-term picture is never far from his mind but it would be surprising if he strays far from the tried and tested for the big fixtures. The return of Andy Onyeama-Christie after a horrific leg injury is particularly welcome and as we’ve seen in previous years he often forces his way into the conversation.

Expect the senior core to feature heavily once the All Blacks arrive in town and others perhaps to rotate back to their clubs, but the earlier games could see a fair bit of rotation. On paper, it’s a strong and balanced group – and if nothing else, there are worse problems to have than too many back-row options.

Backs: Fergus Burke, Jamie Dobie, Darcy Graham, Adam Hastings, Rory Hutchinson, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Blair Kinghorn, Stafford McDowall, Kyle Rowe, Arron Reed, Finn Russell, Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn, Ross Thompson, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White.
Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Josh Bayliss, Magnus Bradbury, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Patrick Harrison, Nathan McBeth, Alexander Masibaka, Liam McConnell, Elliot Millar Mills, Harri Morris, Andy Onyeama-Christie, D’Arcy Rae, Dylan Richardson, Jamie Ritchie, Alex Samuel, Pierre Schoeman, Rory Sutherland, Marshall Sykes, George Turner, Murphy Walker, Max Williamson.

The post Townsend names 45-man Scotland squad for autumn series appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.

He’s a name that may not have been on everyone’s lips, but one that makes a lot of sense given his credentials and recent success in turning Northampton Saints into one of the best defensive outfits in the Premiership since he joined with them in 2023.

Radford will juggle his Saints duties with his new Scotland role until the end of the season, when he’ll go full-time with the national side. His Scotland contract runs until the end of 2027/28, suggesting Townsend sees him as part of a longer-term project heading into the next World Cup cycle.

Radford is a legend of rugby league, having played for Hull FC and Bradford Bulls during a career that brought three Super League titles. Since stepping back from playing in 2011 he’s coached Castleford Tigers, Hull FC, and Samoa – helping the latter reach the Rugby League World Cup final in 2022, no small feat given Australia’s traditional dominance (Australia won the final, of course). He even spent a brief stint in the US Major League Rugby with the Dallas Jackals.

“Scotland have been very sound defensively over the last few years and there are similarities to how they defend compared to Northampton. My job will be to continue that cohesion as well as adding some of my own touches. If you look at the age profile of the Scotland squad, it is all starting to come together nicely and I have been really impressed with how the team have developed recently. Having so many players away with the Lions in the summer is testament to the work that has been done and I can’t wait until the end of October when I meet everyone for the first time ahead of four exciting matches in the autumn.”

He replaces Tandy, who left earlier this year to take over as Wales head coach after the Skyscanner Summer Tour. Radford joins a familiar group alongside recent B&I Lions assistant coach John Dalziel, Pete Horne and Pieter de Villiers – rounding out what looks like one of the more stable Scottish backroom teams in recent memory.

If Radford can restore and maintain Scotland’s defence at the peak Tandy occasionally had them achieve, Scotland will be in good shape to unleash strong (counter) attacking instincts.

Bringing in Tandy after the disastrous 2019 Rugy World Cup campaign probably saved Townsend’s job (if not Matt Taylor’s) and saw the Welshman tour with the Lions in 2021 as a result, but Scotland’s defence is now no longer regarded as specifically a weakness. It’s often the overall leadership that is questioned following poor results.

Radford needs to keep the Tandy momentum going while adding a touch of his own aggression and organisation. Time will tell how quickly Radford’s ideas translate to the Test arena, but his track record suggests Scotland’s defence is in capable hands. League coaches tend to bring a different edge to contact and line speed – two areas where Scotland have already made big strides in recent years.

The post Lee Radford joins Townsend’s team as Scotland defence coach appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.

Scotland start and finish well

Scotland will undoubtedly be proud of the way they started the game, not just getting the first points of the game but putting England under pressure. For the first time since the 2016 match (when Rhona Lloyd and Lisa Thomson made their Scotland debuts), England didn’t score in the first ten minutes. Sometimes small victories are worth noting when going up against such a dominant team.

The start was really bright, the first line out was safe and successfully taken. The attack was dynamic and making ground, although under penalty advantage, Helen Nelson may have wished she had gone wide rather than carrying into contact with the England defence fairly contracted and Emma Orr, Chloe Rollie and Lloyd with a three-on-two and plenty space to work with. It was understandable that Scotland took the three at this point, getting reward on the scoreboard for the effort, and ensuring that Scotland were not nilled, as had happened in the 2020 and 2024 fixtures which were also played in poor weather.

In the next few minutes, Scotland soaked up pressure well, tackled fiercely and cleared mostly well, apart from a moment where Rollie inexplicably didn’t call a mark in her 22.

But unfortunately, it didn’t last.

Very little went Scotland’s way for the next hour of the game, but Scotland can also be proud that they fought to the end, and got the last score. They dominated quite a bit of the last ten minutes, pressuring England into errors and poor discipline. The field position for the try came from an excellent line break from Francesca McGhie, well supported and taken on by Alex Stewart. Evie Gallagher went quickly from a penalty and made metres, and Scotland showed patience in phase after phase and demonstrated that they never give up. Athough it got scrappy right at the end, Lloyd showed composure and commitment to get the try that she and the team deserved.

Plenty in the defensive effort to be proud of

Even if they did concede six tries, and the tackle percentage was down a bit, Scotland can still take some heart from their defensive performance. England were limited to three line breaks and were not, as they usually do, scoring a large number of well-worked tries through their backs. In fact, they were only making limited gains through their passing game before something would bring it to a halt.

Yes, some moves broke down because of the slippery ball, but there was a lot of hustle in the defence, and Scotland continued to show their willingness to put pressure on the attacking player or disrupt the passing line and dent England’s usual cohesion. The problem for Scotland was that they were also giving a platform to England through the set-piece. The Red Roses’ greater power, especially in the forwards, was telling at breaking down Scotland’s resistance.

Emma Orr was the star defensive performer – Scotland’s joint top tackler with 11 – but what stood out was how crucial some of those tackles were, showing just how world class she is. An early example was the perfect technique to stop a Holly Aitchison run and allow Bonar and Konkel to win a jackal penalty. She then stopped a possible Helena Rowland line break a few minutes later. She took Lucy Packer into touch in the last ten minutes when it looked like a line break was on. Her most eye-catching was near the start of the second half when Abby Dow broke through after charging down Thomson. Not many players lay a finger on Dow when she is charging for the line, but Orr got her down and nearly won the ball back too. She also beat Meg Jones to a grounding after a grubber kick for good measure, preventing another try.

Lack of platform undermines Scottish chances

One of the positives was seeing the kicking game be as good as it has been this year, for example an early nudge through from Nelson and chase from Rollie put Rowland’s clearance under pressure. They didn’t win every kicking battle (and with three 50:22s, you’d say England did edge this aspect) but they did also sometimes come out on top and they also used it to relieve pressure or to change the dynamic in attack. Unfortunately, a good kicking game can only really help you when the lineout is functioning.

There was consistently a real struggle at scrum and lineout and it was the biggest point of difference between the two teams. Even that first 10 minutes where overall the match went as well as it got for Scotland, there were two stolen lineouts.

The biggest frustration was probably the two after England’s first try. Firstly, Scotland were untidy on the throw just inside their own half. It allowed England to play their way up the field and put a smart grubber into touch a few metres from the try line. The mess at the second gave the ball straight back to England and all it took was two powerful carries from England forwards and they were in for their second before Scotland had recovered from the first.

It’s not clear exactly what the issue is with lineouts, Scotland have always looked to be ambitious on the lineout, sometimes overcomplicating things, but it has occasionally paid off, including against Ireland earlier this year. It has felt some of those struggles might be worth it, if it led to it all coming together in crucial matches – like a World Cup quarter-final.

It’s understandable Scotland would take chances against England; high ambition would be the only way to pull off a shock result against such a strong team. This time it probably was a mixture of the weather and England having done their homework, but it’s also hard not to wonder if the turnover in forwards coaches over the last 14 months – Martin Haag departed in July 2024, then Fraser Brown came in as a consultant for a few months then left, with Ross Miller stepping up from the men’s u18s this June – may have had an impact on things.

The first scrum provided some optimism, but thereafter it was a real struggle.  This made it pretty near impossible for Scotland to get into the game. We’ve seen how good they are at building attack or gaining territory from both set pieces, but there was very little to work with and they often found themselves quickly back under pressure.

England made more errors than expected, but any short-lived relief was followed with the worry that a penalty would come from the scrum.

All of this meant there was never really a way back into the game.

A farewell to the iconic Jade Konkel

Jade Konkel may just be the most important player for the Scotland women’s team since Donna Kennedy and if one descriptor has been used more consistently than any other, it is trailblazer.

Scotland’s first female professional player bowed out after an incredible career. You don’t have to go back many years to find games where the basis of Scotland’s attacking game was Konkel’s ability to carry and bust through the gainline time after time.

Never was that more noticeable than the 2020 draw with France when her 25 carries were the heart of one of Scotland’s best ever performances. It was her skill, power, commitment and determination that saw her receive a professional contract in 2016 and she has clearly been such an inspiration to the next generation of backrowers, as well as such a firm fan favourite.

She has paid Scotland back for that contract an immeasurable amount of times over. She has somehow continued to be a mainstay of the match day squad, despite also being a full-time firefighter and captain of her club and has overcome a run of serious injuries in recent years. Her versatility is also impressive – as she noted in her farewell post, she has worn the 1, 4, 6, 8, 19, 20 and 21 shirts through her Scotland career. She has undoubtedly left the shirt, most notably at number 8, in a better place.

She deserved to go out on her own terms, and she has, but you sense if she had rightfully been awarded another contract, she might have chosen that time to be another day in the future. But however much that has cast a small shadow on how her time for Scotland ended, nothing can take away from what we as fans owe to one of the true greats of the Scotland game.

SRU mismanagement threatens to undermine progress

Overall, this has been a positive World Cup for Scotland. A brilliant win against Wales, and then getting the job done against Fiji to secure a first quarter final since 2002. Fronting up really well against Canada and keeping the scoreline closer than usual to England (both scoring 40 points against us). This is a team that fans take immense pride in and the numbers turning out to support at all four games were really good.

It should be a golden opportunity to capitalise on, especially with a big standalone game at Murrayfield coming up in the Womens 6 Nations.

Unfortunately, no one seems to know publicly what is next, not the players or the fans.

Reports suggest half the squad are now without contracts, and we’ve seen the resulting retirements from Konkel, Lisa Cockburn and Caity Mattinson, all who have played a fantastic role in this World Cup success, and the uptick in Scotland’s fortunes over the past few years.

A squad that doesn’t usually air behind the scenes difficulties has had to speak out and speak up as they or their team mates are dismissed or disrespected. The statements from the SRU don’t seem to match the reality at times either.  As far as I can tell, with Bryan Easson and Tyrone Holmes confirmed to be moving on, and Steve Shingler and Ross Miller only temporary appointments, there is currently no one in the coaching staff, something that needs to be rectified soon so that players aren’t completely disconnected from the set up ahead of the Women’s Six Nations.

There are tens of thousands of people behind this team, players who have worked and fought so hard to drag this team up to sixth in the world in a few years. The fans deserve better and to understand what is going on, but this incredible group of players who have given and delivered so much deserve it most of all. They, and their backroom staff, have created a squad and team inspiring young and older fans across the country, and this really could be another step on the road to something big.

Here’s hoping it’s not an opportunity squandered after a memorable and successful journey through the 2025 World Cup.

The post RWC 2025: England 40-8 Scotland appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.

Jade Konkel is named at No. 8 for her first start of the tournament, with Evie Gallagher, who has scored two tries and is the competition’s top tackler so far, switching to openside flanker. On the blindside, captain Rachel Malcolm leads the team for the 53rd time, setting a national record for appearances as captain across all representative teams.

With Elliann Clarke and Lisa Cockburn unavailable due to knee and concussion protocols respectively, Christine Belisle – who started the tournament out of the squad, without a central contract and in retirement – starts at tighthead prop, joining Leah Bartlett at loosehead and Lana Skeldon at hooker. Sarah Bonar, fresh from winning her 50th cap against Canada, continues in the second row alongside Emma Wassell.

The backline is unchanged for the fourth consecutive match of the tournament. Francesca McGhie and Rhona Lloyd start on the wings, having scored nine tries between them in the pool stage. Leia Brebner-Holden and Helen Nelson maintain their half-back partnership, with Nelson just 11 points shy of reaching 250 for her country. Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continue in midfield, with Chloe Rollie at full-back.

On the bench Easson sticks with a 6:2 split of forwards and backs. Elis Martin, Molly Wright and Molly Poolman provide front-row cover, supported by Eva Donaldson, Rachel McLachlan and Alex Stewart in the forwards. The backs replacements are Caity Mattinson and Evie Wills.

England go into the quarter-finals as overwhelming favourites. They topped their pool with resounding wins, most recently beating Australia 47-7 to close out the group stage in dominant fashion. Scotland have not beaten England since the 1990s and recent encounters have been one-sided, with England’s average margin of victory around fifty points.

In this year’s Six Nations England defeated Scotland 59-7, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Easson’s side in Exeter.

Scotland: Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Christine Belisle, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Evie Gallagher, Jade Konkel.
Replacements: Elis Martin, Molly Wright, Molly Poolman, Eva Donaldson, Rachel McLachlan, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Evie Wills.

The post Konkel and Belisle return for England Quarter Final appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.

Scotland test Canadian defence

Scotland’s attack has been excellent in the first two rounds of the tournament, but now it was up against one of the strongest defences in the women’s game. Scotland passed this test, playing with pace and detail, and their running lines, both dummy lines and those of the carrier, were consistently excellent, meaning so many of their carries were dominant and the Canadian tackle percentage of 85% was below where they would have wanted, with 29 missed tackles.  Scotland’s ruck speed was also excellent, not as fast as Canada’s (who are the fastest international team in the world, men or women’s).

65% of Scotland’s rucks were less than 3 seconds. Looking at the statistics for Canada’s competitive matches this year, in the Pacific 4 and the World Cup pool stages, only Fiji have matched that speed against the Canadians.

Scotland had to be patient, and maybe occasionally needed to be more patient, but the way they kept the ball alive and mixed in fabulously timed passes from the likes of Helen Nelson and Emma Orr to get their dangerous wingers into space, either on the edges or in the middle, made for some beautifully fluid rugby to watch. Francesca McGhie, as we have seen time and again in the tournament, in particular had some impressive runs in the second half, with Rhona Lloyd a couple to match.

In fact, the three tries epitomised these aspects. The first showed Scotland’s ability to keep the ball alive from a penalty quick tap, they worked hard to contract and misalign the defence, picked up the pace at ruck time and kept loads of bodies in motion, fast hands, including a brilliant tip of the fingers pick up and pass on from Rachel McLachlan before Lloyd was over the line in the corner. The second and third both came from brilliant lines from Evie Gallagher and McGhie respectively, and enabled by beautifully weighted passes from Leia Brebner-Holden and Caity Mattinson. All three were real positives to take forward to the quarter-final.

Defence stays mostly solid

If there is one facet the team may be most proud of, it will be there work in defence that for much of the game stopped Canada building much in attack. They weren’t able to slow Canada’s ball down much – Canada had 79% of rucks under 3 seconds, which is frankly ridiculous – but they were able to contain and disrupt. Scotland’s tackle percentage was right back up to where it was in round 1, with 92% completed (only England managed better in round 3), which is even more impressive given the speed at which Canada were playing.

Scotland missed half the number of tackles that Canada did, even though both teams attempted a similar amount. Their line speed was good and their hustle and commitment to disrupting passing channels meant they forced more than a few handling errors in Canada attacks. They will have to keep those standards as high, if they are in anyway to contain the Red Rose juggernaut next up.

Scotland errors undermine efforts to push Canada even closer

So if both attack and defence were overall performing well, how did Scotland end up being defeated by 21 points. Part of it was of course Canada’s class, but an unfortunate amount of it was due to errors that either killed off Scotland’s momentum or gave an opening to the opposition. When playing a top four team, Scotland need everything to go their way – aligned with performing at their highest level – to put themselves in contention for victory. But these errors meant that Scotland spent a lot of time two scores behind, trying to fight their way back into the game.

On penalty advantage in the 16^th minute, the ball should have gone from Chloe Rollie to Rhona Lloyd with Asia Hogan-Rochester biting in on Rollie and leaving Lloyd in acres of space. The ball didn’t leave the Canada 22 until Scotland’s first try, but it took a lot more effort to get the score and a much harder angle for the kick.

Perhaps the most frustrating was Lisa Thomson kicking straight to touch from the kick off immediately after the Canada penalty try. Scotland had to survive until half time with just 14 players and this was the worst possible time for such a mistake. Canada scored so quickly and brilliantly off the resulting scrum, with a bit of disorganised defence and it was a bit of a hammer blow to go from having been just 5-7 down to 5-19 down in the blink of an eye.

Scotland started the first few minutes of the second half well, pinning Canada in their own half, and patiently building in attack. But then when the opportunity came to strike, Nelson unfortunately missed touch from a penalty, perhaps a swirl of wind, perhaps over ambition.  A few minutes later, some Canadian ill-discipline early second half, gave Scotland a way in, but a risky overthrown lineout led to holding on penalty. At this point, Canada were much more undisciplined than Scotland, but Scotland were slow to capitalise.

Canada, however, always took advantage of Scotland errors. The first 15 minutes of the second half had been excellent from Scotland, but then in the 55^th minute they gave away a soft offside penalty – the resulting lineout lead to Canada’s fourth try through Emily Tuttosi, alongside poor defence, snuffing out the chance of a Scotland comeback.

After the disallowed Nelson try (another Scotland mistake) there was another cheap penalty in the next play – side entry at a maul from that first penalty’s line out – and through Alex Tessier’s brilliant kicking to touch, Canada piggy-backed almost to the five-metre line, with little effort. From there Canada had soon powered over the line, 33-12 with 15 minutes to go and pretty much game over.

The possession for Canada’s final try came from a missed Scotland line out, the territory from a loose Scotland pass, and again the powerful Canadian forwards did the rest. It probably made the scoreline tougher on Scotland than their efforts deserved, but it also typified a pattern of the game.  It’s not that Canada didn’t make mistakes of their own, often from Scottish pressure, but Scotland did not capitalise in the same way and many of their errors were unforced.

It feels harsh to pick out these negatives in such detail, but it shows that the main difference between the teams on the day was the ability to take clinical advantage of opportunity and to not make errors at crucial times, rather than the overall level of performance.

Kicking battle blows Scotland off course

It was a blustery day at Sandy Park. probably no more evident that when the final conversion from Tessier seemed to stand still at the top of its arc before just popping over the crossbar.  Scotland kicked far, far less than they did against Wales or Fiji, and Canada’s kick to pass ratio was even lower.. Although it wasn’t a significant part of the game, it led to a couple of key moments that put Scotland on the back foot and was the other aspect where Canada really outshone Scotland.

There was some good kicking, like Nelson’s first kick to touch and Rollie’s from the second half restart where she really used the wind to gain ground. A Scotland penalty in the 60^th minute came from a good, well positioned kick from Thomson, with excellent kick chase. Unfortunately, the line out penalty was the one that resulted in the Nelson disallowed try, but it showed what could have been.

Scotland had the wind against them first half, so it was advantage Canada, but Scotland could have kicked better. An early example was a kick out on the full misjudging the wind, which almost gave Canada a perfect attacking platform, and although that attack broke down, it meant that Nelson’s clearing kick was good but under so much pressure, little territory was gained. From that lineout, the first Canada try came.

Just after the Scotland try, Scotland were willing to get into a kicking battle, but the wind meant that it was always likely to be a net territory loss and so it proved. It didn’t work out badly when Gallagher got a turnover penalty, but Scotland were in the wrong place in the field. The kick from that penalty was not great, with the wind battering it back, and there was a messy line out and eventually Scotland had to settle for clearing it as far as their own 22 line.  The next time the ball left Scotland’s 22, Gallagher was in the bin after sustained Canada attack and Scotland were taking a restart after Canada’s second try.

Just after the third Canada try, the team in red put in a clever kick in behind, but Scotland were now less sure about kicking, Rollie and Thomson miscommunicated and it ended up with a knock on in the Scotland 22. At this point it felt like the wheels were coming off.

With the change of ends, there was hope that this could give Scotland an advantage, but apart from a couple of the examples noted above, Scotland never really kicked much after this or took advantage of having the wind behind them. Perhaps it was just recognition of how well Tessier was playing even into the wind, but it felt a missed opportunity.  We have seen Scotland struggle with their kicking game against top teams before, especially in unhelpful weather, and it is something they will be looking to improve on for the quarter final.

Chart-topping Evie

Despite her yellow card, Gallagher continues to be absurdly good. She was sorely missed when off the pitch. For the 10 minutes she was off, Scotland were 12-0 down. But the margin was only 9 for the 70 minutes she was on.

Her work rate is incredible, and she tops the stats charts for the groups stages with the most tackles (59) and ruck arrivals (106, 20 more than any other player), sitting 4^th for attacking ruck arrivals and top, and a long way clear, for defensive ruck arrivals. She is joint 5^th for turnovers won and she has also made 30 carries for 104 metres and beaten 8 defenders, all more than any other Scotland forward. The line she cut for the try in this game was superb (aided by perfect timing on the pass by Brebner-Holden). And she presumably tops the charts for tries scored while pulling up shorts.

Francesca McGhie also deserves a shout out when it comes to being at or near the top of the charts. Her 6 tries so far equal Lucy Millard’s record for world cup tries for Scotland and she is joint top try scorer for the tournament so far. She is second for metres gained (behind Black Fern wonder kid Braxton Sorensen-McGee – is there something about that surname?), third for defenders beaten and second for line breaks. 

Let’s hope this pair, along with the continuously classy Emma Orr, can continue to shine in the knockout stages.

The post RWC 2025: Scotland 19-40 Canada appeared first on Scottish Rugby Blog.

Lisa Cockburn makes her first Rugby World Cup start at tighthead prop, alongside the returning Lana Skeldon at hooker and Leah Bartlett at loosehead. Sarah Bonar continues in the second row with Emma Wassell and will be set for her 50th cap in the process.

The back row is unchanged as mega-captain Rachel Malcolm starts on the blindside, Rachel McLachlan on the openside, and Evie Gallagher, Player of the Match against Fiji, at No. 8.

The backline also remains the same with scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden and fly-half Helen Nelson in the half-backs. Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continue in midfield, while Rhona Lloyd and Francesca McGhie, who both scored twice last week, are joined by full-back Chloe Rollie to complete the starting XV.

On the bench, Easson has again opted for a 6:2 split of forwards and backs. Molly Poolman could make her Rugby World Cup debut if called upon, joining Anne Young and Elis Martin as front row cover. Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart and Jade Konkel complete the forwards, with Evie Wills and Caity Mattinson named as the back replacements.

Canada have been in dominant form throughout the pool stages. They opened with a commanding 65–7 win over Fiji, with Julia Schell scoring six tries in the second half – though currently only one ahead of McGhie in the scoring charts – before defeating Wales 42–0. That result sealed their place in the quarter-finals and leaves them unbeaten in Pool B heading into the meeting with Scotland, but it wasn’t that much more than Scotland put on them.

With the winner set for a much easier – ie not all-destroying England – quarter final it is all to play for.

Scotland: Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Lisa Cockburn, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher.
Replacements: Elis Martin, Anne Young, Molly Poolman, Jade Konkel, Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Evie Wills.

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Fiji kept at bay with huge defensive effort

Scotland made an impressive 228 tackle effort, led by the back row, and with player of the match Evie Gallagher making a tournament high 35, the most in a women’s World Cup match since 2017. In fact, the top 12 tacklers in the game were from Scotland, with Rachel Malcolm contributing 25 and Rachel McLachlan 18 despite the latter only playing 51 minutes.

It’s not the sheer volume that stands out from Gallagher’s performance. The pitch map shared by Opta shows that 13 of them were within a few metres of Scotland’s try line as she was part of a giant team effort that thwarted many waves of Fijiana pressure.  She added two crucial turnovers to end early Fiji attacks for good measure.  Gallagher was the standout, everywhere on the pitch in defence and often attack, but there was huge commitment, focus, line speed and bravery from the whole team. It would be remiss when mentioning Scotland’s defence to forget an incredible try saving tackle from Francesca McGhie, who is making that almost as much a speciality as scoring tries for fun.

The missed tackle percentage was higher than against Wales, with only 83% completed, compared to a round leading 95% against Wales, but a lot of that is tribute to the ball in hand skill of the Fijiana, whose running lines and offloading were everything we expect from the best of Fijian rugby.  I can’t find stats for the percentage of missed tackles leading to a break or try, but for the most part, it did seem like where one Scottish defender slipped off a tackle, one of her teammates acted quickly to snuff out the danger without too much damage (the exception being the first try).

Canada play with incredible ruck speed and unpredictable attacking plays, and Scotland will have to hope their defence can find a way to withstand one of the most exciting attacks in the game.

Tactical approach pays off, hopefully not at too much cost

The Fijiana are bold and talented enough to attack from anywhere but Scotland gambled on winning the territory game rather than the possession one. This resulted in a territory split of 53-47 in Scotland’s favour and possession split of 37-63 in Fiji’s favour. It of course explains the high tackle count for Scotland.

Ultimately Scotland stuck to their game plan and won, which means it was the right approach. It possibly did make the game a little bit more stressful for us spectators.  Scotland had to deal with periods of sustained pressure in their own 22, fewer attacking opportunities of their own and a feeling that until the last ten minutes that Scotland were never quite on top. But I’ll take all those nerves in return for securing a quarter final spot.

The main concern is that this must have been pretty attritional and energy sapping, meaning recovery will have to be spot on to have the team fit and firing for Canada, especially as the coaches have generally not looked to rotate so far. But even if Scotland had kept ball in hand more, and looked to secure possession more than territory, there would still have been big hits coming in and it feels it was worth the risk and effort to ensure the win, and making it more of a free swing against Canada.

Orr’s game smarts to the fore

With such limited possession, not to mention Fiji’s committed defence, five tries (and a borderline call for a penalty try near the end) is not a bad return. Two of the tries came from more structured play or strike plays but three can be directly attributed to the game awareness and talents of Emma Orr, who was outstanding (and probably my player of the match until I saw Gallagher’s tackle stats).  The first try came after a missed penalty kick to touch from Fiji and several Scotland players reacted quickly and realise that getting the ball to the left of the pitch will allow for a good attacking opportunity. Orr had the vision and skill to exploit a huge gap and utilise the speed of McGhie, putting through a brilliantly weighted kick – with credit to McGhie for pacing herself correctly to be able to dab a shorter kick closer to the line, making it near impossible for her to be tackled as she gathers and scores.

For the third try, Orr pounced on a ball that has come loose from a ruck and sprint away, giving Scotland field position. This is at least the third similar poach from Orr in less than 18 months that has led to a try, which shows it’s not a fluke but something she is constantly alive to in case the opportunity arises. Orr made crucial metres from the steal, the team quickly sprang into attacking shape, and after a good carry by Gallagher and a neat 1-2 from Rhona Lloyd to Lisa Thomson, Lloyd sprinted away to her second score

Finally, Scotland’s final try was another Orr half length of the field classic. Fiji kicked it out their half, Lloyd and Orr traced back quickly into position and Orr’s hand went up signalling the opportunity. Orr has seen she has space and a mismatch in terms of pace with the defenders on that side of the pitch. These Orr tries from deep are something we have seen time after time for Scotland, but this is not just grabbing a ball and sprinting.  There are many things that make Orr one of the best outside centres around; one of these is not only her pace and step to pull these opportunities off, but also her phenomenal ability to spot when to deploy those skills to best effect.

In advance of the game, Bryan Easson had noted there could be potential opportunities in transition. All three of these tries showed quick transition from attack to defence as Scotland counter-attacked to great success, and at the heart of each was Orr’s understanding and foresight to capitalise before the defence could reset.

Limited opportunities mostly taken

As mentioned above, scoring five tries from only 37% possession is nothing to be sniffed at. The two tries from set play showed the clinical edge to Scotland’s attack. The second try, with Fiji having a player in the bin, is perfectly executed. With Helen Nelson and Lloyd lining up behind the scrum, it was easy to anticipate something was on, but it still has to work like clockwork, and it is simple but effective. Leia Brebner-Holden runs a very convincing line to join the main attacking line to the left of the scrum, alongside a hard line from Thomson, so that the Fiji defence has to focus on that side, but it is pure distraction. The timing between Gallagher picking the ball up and fixing the first tackler, and Nelson and Lloyd flashing round, is so well synchronised it looks easy, but how often do we see attacking moves in men’s or women’s rugby have a slight mistime and not quite fire? The precision instead gave Fiji little chance.

For Scotland’s fourth try, which was McGhie’s second, a strong driving maul gained a penalty advantage and then good carries sucked in the defence. Once Scotland recognised that there is a huge gap back where the maul drive happened, they flooded that channel with backs, at one point looking like a 4 on 1. Nelson got the ball quickly to Chloe Rollie to draw a tackle and she in turn picked out McGhie with a perfectly timed pass, skipping Thomson and Orr who are also potential scorers and giving the lone Fijian defender no chance.

One slightly disappointment might be that Fiji effectively played the last 25 minutes down to 14, and yet there was no score after the 59th minute. There would likely have been one with around 3 minutes to go (by weird coincidence, during the minute or so in that period that the Fijiana were back to 15 players) but for a desperate slap down from the otherwise phenomenal young substitute Adi Salote Nailolo.

Scotland may not get a chance to play against 14 Canadians but if they do, they really have to make sure they are on the front foot in that period and make the most of a player advantage.

A word for the Fijiana

This was a genuinely excellent, if nerve-wracking match, and a huge part of this was down to the Fijian team. Some of their ball in hand play was glorious and their ability to find a team mate with an offload, or to hand off their defenders was wonderful to watch (although less fun when it is against your own team). They were held up once and had another try disallowed and had either been scored, there would have been considerably more nervous moments for Scotland.

It would have also got them a fully deserved try scoring bonus point. The aforementioned Nailolo is just 19 but looked sensational, and in a world where the women’s game has the equivalent of a high spending Top 14, she would surely be being snapped up by a big club.

For all their talent, this game did demonstrate one of the areas of inequality in the women’s game, which hopefully World Rugby can look to rectify and help even out opportunity.  Of course, part of the advantage that Scotland (and the other teams in the group) have over Fiji is resource, but possibly an even bigger one is consistently getting to play against high quality opposition. Scotland and Wales of course get the W6N every year, while Canada have the PAC4. Meanwhile Fiji’s opportunities can be more limited, with their regular Pacific opponents being Samoa and a much weaker Tonga and Papua New Guinea (if the latter even finds the funds to take part).

The future of WXV has not yet been confirmed, but hopefully a revamped version, along with more effort to give high quality non-competition matches for the likes of Fiji and Samoa (and Japan, Brazil and Spain) can help bridge some of those gaps. With increased opportunities to play high quality opponents together, who knows how far this talented and committed Fijiana team could go? Fiji will have won so many new fans after their performance from this game, even if the spoils of a quarter final place went to Scotland.

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Elis Martin comes into the front row to make her first Rugby World Cup start at hooker, packing down between loosehead Leah Bartlett and tighthead Elliann Clarke. Martin impressed off the bench in the emphatic win over Wales last weekend.

The second row remains unchanged, with Emma Wassell and Sarah Bonar continuing their partnership. Captain Rachel Malcolm starts again at blindside flanker, joined in the back row by Rachel McLachlan on the openside and Evie Gallagher at No.8.

The backline is also unchanged from the victory over Wales. Scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden, who scored her first Scotland try last weekend, resumes her partnership with fly-half Helen Nelson. Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continue in midfield, while the back three features Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd and Francesca McGhie, who scored a hat-trick against Wales.

Easson has again opted for a 6:2 split on the bench. Adelle Ferrie and Anne Young are in line for their Rugby World Cup debuts if they take the field. They are joined among the forwards by Molly Wright, Lisa Cockburn, Eva Donaldson and Alex Stewart. Caity Mattinson and Beth Blacklock provide cover in the backs.

Scotland: Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Elis Martin, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher.
Replacements: Molly Wright, Anne Young, Lisa Cockburn, Adelle Ferrie, Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Beth Blacklock.

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Relentless McGhie shines

This was a multi-faceted and impressive performance from the still young star winger Francesca McGhie, who surely had the game of her international career so far.

The most eye-catching part was of course her hat-trick of tries. For the first, she had a good break up the line to gain field position and then when the ball was worked to her again, with Helen Nelson and McGhie staying far more alert than the Welsh defence, she beat two defenders to score. Her second was the easiest finish, but she works well as part of a group of backs flashing round into space to get in a great position. The third was perhaps her best finish with pace seeing her gliding past two defenders, making a half chance look like an inevitable score.

Then there was her other work in attack. There was a brilliant break in midfield, from excellent team play, in the 30^th minute, taking Scotland from their own half into the Wales 22 which eventually led to the Leia Brebner-Holden try (Scotland’s third), with another good carry in the later build up to that score. Any time she had ball in hand, she seemed to be making metres and beating defenders.

Meanwhile her defensive hustle and kick chase was also critical to Scotland staying on top in the game. In the first half, she put in three crucial tackles.

A clever piece of play from Lleucu George put Jasmine Joyce-Butchers away for a rare line break, and it was McGhie who hunted and hauled Joyce-Butchers down. Possibly the only other bit of inventive attack from Wales in the first half saw Net Metcalfe put an excellent chip and regather in behind the Scottish defence; it was McGhie to the rescue, getting to Metcalfe and disrupting the Wales attack.

With Scotland withstanding pressure from Wales in the closing moments before half time, McGhie and Nelson teamed up to end a Welsh attack by muscling winger Lisa Neumann into touch.  On top of that, earlier in the half, her determination on the kick chase forced a knock on from George, making sure Scotland kept Wales pinned back in their own half and constantly under pressure.  This continued in the second half with her charge down of George after Scotland’s kick off, giving her team the advantage right at the start of the second period and setting the tone for that half.

For all that there were star performances and excellence across the Scotland 23 – several who also deserve multiple paragraphs of praise – McGhie was utterly superb in both attack and defence and fully deserving of her player of the match award.

Laochs across the pitch

One of Scotland’s key watchwords is laoch, for each female warrior out on the pitch. That spirit was everywhere throughout the team, with so many stories of players overcoming and powering through. Of course, the most notable was Emma Wassell, playing a year to the day since she was diagnosed with a tumour in her chest. If proof of her heart for the battle was needed, she was off after a couple of minutes for a blood substitution, returning to play the rest of her match with stitches across her cheek. Another who has overcome recent aversity was Alex Stewart, showing no signs of the effects of both coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes that had interrupted her Women’s Six Nations campaign, as she ran through walls at her energetic best.

Jade Konkel, Sarah Bonar and McGhie had all been injured a few weeks ago and missed the warm up matches (Scotland lost both) but all had stormers here. After the Ireland game, both Lana Skeldon and Elis Martin appeared to be doubts for the tournaments. We feared the worst when Skeldon went down or was limping severely but she soldiered on. And when Martin came on, she played like a demon, running at and through everything.

Maybe the person who most epitomised what it means to be a laoch for this team was Elliann Clarke. Aside from leaving the pitch for an HIA, the tighthead prop played until the 75^th minute, but during the match seemed to need regular treatment for injuries during the second half. And every time you thought that this time she would need to leave the field, she got herself up again and carried on and was magnificent. She made 9 carries, the most by a front row on either side, and 16 tackles, the latter Scotland’s second highest, two of them dominant. She was still on the pitch, facing a refreshed and strong substitute Welsh front row, when she was part of the Scottish scrum that won a crucial penalty ahead of the Gallagher try. Her relentless commitment was matched by all her teammates, but there was something so indefatigable that stood out in what was another youngster having the performance of her international career to date.  

Bravery and brilliance in attack

It was hard to know what to expect from Scotland in attack, with Steve Shingler so recently installed as attack coach and, as we found out after in Bryan Easson’s post match interview, a lot being held back from the warm up games. But Scotland took their chances, in a way that we haven’t always seen in recent games.

Their kicking game was mostly excellent, with Wales having to field so many high balls just outside their 22 or getting turned by lower long kicks that constantly stopped them getting into game, but even more impressive was how good the ball in hand attack looked, particularly when Scotland entered the Wales 22.

Easson also mentioned after the match he was aware that the ground was the third widest in the Premiership, and Scotland made sure to make the most of that width. When they could see it was on, they were not afraid to run it quickly through the hands or throw a miss pass to get their back three running down the edges. When they were in the 22, they were brave and bold in playing flat to the line and Brebner-Holden and Caity Mattinson both fizzed passes from the base to pick out a player who could carry right into the Welsh defence, or cut a brilliant line as both Gallagher and Orr did for their tries, with the ball on a plate.  This boldness also meant the Welsh defence was over working when it came to the Brebner-Holden try, creating the brief gap that the scrum-half dotted through.

Another feature was the way that players were constantly in motion, making it so hard for the Welsh players to make good decisions, and you can see it for pretty much every try or line break. Several times, Rhona Lloyd or McGhie were off their wing and moving with the centres and Rollie to flood space at pace on one side of the pitch or the other.  It was key to more than one try, such as when the defence was contracted in the build up to McGhie’s second, leaving Thomson and McGhie in acres of space, or when Lloyd was on hand to fix a defender or two on her opposite wing and feed McGhie for her hat trick. And for the Gallagher try, the clever set play means after a couple of good carries, there are so many options for the scrum half, including Wassell, Konkel and Gallagher all realistic options to carry hard, with Stewart providing another distraction as she runs out the same pod but in the opposite direction, and backs floating behind in the defence’s eyeline too. Mattinson spots that Gallagher will be one on one with George and fires the ball perfectly for her to get over the line with maximum power and momentum.  

There were other minor details, such as Nelson seeming to take the running option more often than we see her do for Scotland (although she often does for Loughborough), which added to more uncertainty for the Welsh defence as she was a triple run-kick-pass threat throughout. When it functioned, there always seemed to be a very smart set play strike move off every line out which gave Scotland plenty of momentum. This really was the clinical attack that we sometimes only see in glimpses but which this time delivered six brilliant tries.

Scotland boss their old playground bullies

Until a couple of years ago, it really seemed that Wales had the physical edge over Scotland, and even in recent victories, it was probably more physical parity, but with better attacking play from the backs. It was partly this that has caused some needle between the teams and made it Scotland’s grudge match. But for much of this match, the tables were turned and it was Scotland who were often the physically dominant team. In particular, their post-contact metres were so impressive – 100 to 21 in the first half, 264 to 139 overall. It seemed like there would be many passages where their carries were dominant and the Welsh could not keep them quiet. Meanwhile, Scotland’s line speed and aggression was doing a better job of stopping Welsh momentum and slowing down their ball at lot more. This ability to make physical carry after carry and suck in the Welsh defence until it contracted was part of the platform that allowed for the excellent play to go wide, no more notably than in the build up to the second try. These two teams can be confidence teams but it gave the sense that Scotland were on top and likely to break through, in a way that Wales could rarely find or put together for sustained periods. And even in the place where they struggled most, the scrum, they still pulled it together for a brilliant scrum penalty against the head which led immediately to Gallagher’s try.

Scotland yet to hit their ceiling

As brilliant as this performance was – one of the best I can think of – the team will also be heartened that there is more they can improve on. 

The scrum and line out will need to be at their best in their upcoming matches against Fiji and Canada. Their discipline wasn’t the best, conceding 11 penalties, although they turned this round in the second half, when only 4 came – conversely the majority of Wales’ penalties were second half. 

The lineout was a great platform when it worked, but it didn’t function perfectly. They were probably turned over a little more than usual, and a lot more than they would like. There was also the odd error in concentration or moment where more composure was needed. But these aren’t to be criticisms of the performance, more to say that there are fixable issues meaning that this performance can be a stepping stone to a new height, rather than the ceiling.

There are two strong teams to come in the pool stages, but Scotland can move forward with real belief and confidence knowing that the first tough job is not just done, but with a performance to genuinely celebrate and build on.

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