Why Scotland No Longer Want To Be Plucky Underdogs

ByAndy Burke

BBC Sport Scotland

Scotland person leaned into nan domiciled of underdogs to push women's rugby successful their state guardant enormously successful nan past fewer years. Now they want to beryllium viewed arsenic a squad to beryllium feared.

Emma Wassell has been astatine nan bosom of that communicative and nan heartbeat of nan squad since making her world debut successful 2014.

Her early Test matches were played retired successful beforehand crowds successful nan debased 3 figures.

Later this month, she will tally retired astatine Murrayfield successful beforehand of 25,000 fans - a fig that mightiness yet emergence - erstwhile nan Scots return connected world champions England. It will beryllium a grounds crowd for a standalone women's sporting arena successful Scotland.

Wassell and her team-mates person been fighting for respect connected aggregate fronts for a agelong time, whether that beryllium from opposing teams aliases from their employers.

They've wanted a adjacent ace from Scottish Rugby erstwhile it comes to contracts, resources and each nan different kinds of support a squad needs to compete.

As Scotland hole to look Wales successful Saturday's Women's Six Nations opener astatine Cardiff's Principality Stadium, Wassell's mind whitethorn rotation backmost to nan reverse fixture successful 2017.

The Scots edged a tight matter 15-14 astatine Broadwood Stadium. It was their first Six Nations triumph successful 7 years. They person made important strides since then.

A 1 aliases two-win Six Nations is nary longer hailed arsenic a roaring success, and coming disconnected an encouraging World Cup past twelvemonth successful which they reached nan quarter-finals, nan squad nary longer wish to beryllium viewed arsenic nan plucky underdogs pinch thing to lose.

"When you're labelled an underdog, you astir apt return a small spot of nan unit disconnected you," Wassell told BBC Scotland. "But I judge we person that unit to execute and win now.

"It mightiness look cliched, but it really is simply a privilege to person that level of pressure. It's astir going retired and doing it. I'm truthful proud to spot nan increasing instrumentality guidelines and nan crowds that we're getting, but what I genuinely attraction astir is winning for Scotland."

At nan commencement of a caller World Cup rhythm and pinch a caller coaching squad successful place, there's a consciousness of a caller page being turned successful this Scotland set-up.

Bryan Easson departed aft 5 years pursuing that quarter-final exit to England, pinch erstwhile United States caput coach Sione Fukofuka taking over.

Captain Rachel Malcolm says Scotland want to get to nan shape of "fighting successful that apical four, apical 5 successful nan world", but warns pinch a caller coach and a big of caller players, nan squad whitethorn person to strengthen a measurement backmost to return a fewer forward.

Thankfully nan build-up to this Six Nations has been little stressful than anterior to nan World Cup, erstwhile nan squad were angered by a perceived deficiency of respect complete contracts that near respective players facing unemployment aft nan tournament.

Malcolm was successful nan heavy of it arsenic skipper and spokesman, successful negotiations pinch nan Scottish Rugby level and successful outlining nan players' position to nan media.

Clearly not each nan scars person healed - particularly for those players near without a statement - but nan temper euphony sounds a batch amended than it did a fewer months ago.

"There is no-one successful a position correct now arsenic stressful arsenic those girls were put in, which is precisely what I want arsenic a captain. I really want our attraction and our power to beryllium going into nan rugby," Malcolm told nan BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"I tin honestly opportunity that we are not location anymore. The discussions person been positive. We consciousness for illustration we've been listened to. One of nan biggest things that we asked for was conscionable to beryllium progressive successful nan speech and to not beryllium benignant of blindsided.

"The process has been a batch much gradual. There's been different stages to it and a small spot much upfront successful position of what contributed to decisions and really that process happened. That makes a large quality and goes a agelong way."

In nan build-up to Scotland's erstwhile gathering pinch Wales - nan World Cup excavation opener successful August - overmuch of nan chat was really small location was betwixt nan sides, pinch astir caller matches decided by a people aliases less.

Some described it arsenic nan tightest rivalry successful Test rugby. Nobody saw Scotland's thumping 38-8 triumph coming.

It was arguably 1 of their top displays, but for each spot of restitution nan Scots took from that time successful Salford, Wales will person banked a full load of symptom and regret.

They will beryllium retired for revenge successful beforehand of their ain group astatine nan Principality Stadium connected Saturday.

"You tin ne'er underestimate Wales," said fly-half Helen Nelson. "It's ever spicy betwixt us. So we're not going successful benignant of expecting it to beryllium an easy crippled aliases thing for illustration that. It will beryllium an absolute battle."

BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast

08/04/26