Scotland Shed Past Scars To Achieve World Cup Goal

There was a maturity to nan measurement Scotland kept a feisty Fiji astatine arm's magnitude to seal nan triumph that booked their spot successful nan quarter-finals of nan Women's Rugby World Cup.

It is nan first clip nan Scots person reached nan past 8 since 2002, and successful nan 25 years since they person often lacked nan nous they demonstrated truthful admirably successful Salford.

Rhona Lloyd has been location and done it each pinch Scotland, enjoyed nan highs and endured nan lows, and aft nan crippled her mind wandered backmost to a peculiarly grim clip for Scotland Women erstwhile they mislaid a two-legged World Cup play-off to Spain successful 2016.

"A batch of nan faces here, they were astatine nan past World Cup, they were location erstwhile we didn't suffice against Spain," Lloyd, who scored 2 tries against Fiji, told BBC Scotland.

"So for america to now beryllium qualifying for quarter-finals, really putting Scotland connected nan map, sitting astatine sixth successful nan world, it intends nan world.

"We want to animate nan adjacent procreation and nan longer we enactment successful this competition, nan much opportunities we person to do that."

Lloyd and nan free-scoring Francesca McGhie - who now has 5 tries successful 2 games astatine this tourney - each grabbed a double, but it was Emma Orr's awesome solo people that was nan prime of nan bunch and capped an outstanding individual performance.

Orr's fingerprints were up location arsenic 1 of Scotland's champion moments. It was her clever footwear done that group up McGhie's first try. The centre pounced connected a loose shot to move defence into an onslaught that yet led to Lloyd crossing for her 2nd try.

Orr's effort will beryllium connected nan shortlist for nan champion of nan tournament, but it was besides nan much subtle elements of crippled that caught nan eye. For a 22-year-old, her protect sounds are nan type you would expect of a wise aged veteran.

"Emma Orr is conscionable a phenomenal talent," Scotland skipper Rachel Malcolm told BBC Scotland.

"She's arsenic humble arsenic they come, but she is up location for maine arsenic 1 of nan champion players successful nan world now and has been since she burst onto nan scene.

"The breathtaking point is conscionable really young she is and really overmuch amended she's astir apt going to support getting.

"She's 1 of those runners that's truthful graceful, tin support her feet moreover connected a slippy time pinch group chomping astatine her feet.

"She's conscionable a phenomenal player. I deliberation she's personification that we benignant of get a batch of assurance from astir her, conscionable having her connected nan ball."

Scotland's backs person accounted for 10 of nan 11 tries they person scored astatine this World Cup, much than immoderate different squad successful nan tournament.

The X-factor from nan likes of Orr, McGhie and Lloyd is coming to nan fore, but they are being allowed to flourish by nan grunt activity being done up front, astir notably against Fiji by nan subordinate of nan lucifer Evie Gallagher.

As they shuffled done nan media mixed area aft nan match, location were immoderate sore bodies aft nan physicality Fiji brought to nan match, though nan players stressed that was precisely nan benignant of attritional conflict they needed up of their Pool B decider against Canada successful Exeter adjacent weekend.

The Canadians are classed number 2 successful nan world and person demonstrated why pinch 2 thumping victories complete Fiji and Wales.

The Scots will spell successful arsenic large underdogs, but nan measurement nan assurance is building successful this group, they will softly fancy their chances of springing a immense shock.

"Canada are nan 2nd champion squad successful nan world for a reason," Scotland caput coach Bryan Easson told BBC Scotland.

"They're athletes correct crossed nan pitch, 1 to 15, and pinch a chair arsenic well.

"We cognize what to expect, we'll hole accordingly for that.

"This group person gone done two, not conscionable beingness battles, but affectional battles arsenic well. We've built up emotionally to play Wales, it was an affectional conflict to get backmost up and play different crippled for illustration this.

"We'll look astatine Canada, we understand there's a existent beingness conflict coming, but we look guardant to that, because we do person an opportunity to apical nan group if we play to our potential."