Rugby World Cup Team News: Scotland Fuelled By ‘sour Taste’ In Must-win Wales Clash

It whitethorn beryllium connected time 2 of nan Women’s Rugby World Cup but Scotland’s gathering pinch Wales connected Saturday day has nan hallmarks of 1 of nan tournament’s astir important group games.

Canada are apt to triumph Group B, meaning nan Celtic conflict successful Salford whitethorn efficaciously correspond a knockout crippled little than 24 hours aft nan tourney kicks off. The stakes are high, arsenic is information for Scotland connected aggregate fronts.

They will beryllium fuelled by erasing nan achy representation of nan past World Cup successful 2022, erstwhile a first quality successful 12 years saw them narrowly suffer to some Australia and Wales and exit astatine nan group stage. Hopes are precocious they tin spell astatine slightest 1 measurement further this time. That conclusion to nan Welsh came via a melodramatic 86th-minute punishment from Keira Bevan. Revenge is connected nan mind for Scotland.

“There’s decidedly still a sour sensation successful my mouth,” said Rachel Malcolm, Scotland’s captain, this week. “I deliberation we astir apt underestimated really overmuch alleviation we felt to conscionable beryllium there. I deliberation this World Cup is different. We’ve gone back-to-back for nan first clip successful a very agelong clip successful position of qualifications.”

But nan buildup has been turbulent to opportunity nan least. Bryan Easson, nan caput coach, confirmed past period he would time off aft nan tournament, and location has been a nationalist conflict betwixt Scottish Rugby and their players complete contracts. Scotland’s helping Rhona Lloyd said precocious that “more than half” of Scotland’s 32-strong squad do not person a woody aft nan World Cup.

Welsh women’s rugby has endured akin problems successful its early steps of professionalism but location is tentative optimism for this tourney aft consecutive woody spoons successful nan Six Nations. Sean Lynn’s presence this twelvemonth has brought renewed assurance that Wales are connected nan correct lines, arsenic did nan drawn two-Test bid against nan Wallaroos successful Australia.

“We’re connected nan correct track. I group targets aft nan Six Nations to nan players. They went distant and person travel backmost successful amended shape,” Lynn said. “The large accent is making judge that we tin play pinch nan strength that I want america to.”

Lynn has been fixed a immense boost for nan opener too, pinch nan co-captain Alex Callender fresh to commencement aft overcoming an ankle wounded suffered against Australia. For Scotland, nan hooker Lana Skeldon is fresh having recovered from injury. This is accelerated becoming 1 of women’s rugby’s awesome rivalries and this weekend, nan stakes are possibly higher than they person ever been.

The crippled successful Salford is portion of nan first double-header of nan tourney connected an opening play erstwhile each 16 teams are successful action. Saturday originates pinch nan 2nd crippled successful Group A arsenic Australia statesman their bid to scope a first Women’s Rugby World Cup final. They return connected Samoa astatine 12pm.

Later connected Saturday 2 of nan pre-tournament favourites, Canada and France, unfastened their campaigns against Fiji and Italy respectively.

Brazil make their tourney debut connected Sunday against South Africa arsenic portion of a double measure astatine Northampton besides featuring Ireland against Japan. The defending champions New Zealand will adjacent retired nan opening play successful a 5.30pm kick-off against Spain successful York.