New-look side excites Karen Findlay

SCOTLAND Women captain Susie Brown will lead a combination of relatively new faces alongside some of the more experienced players who defeated the French at Lasswade this time last year, when the team faces France at Viry-Chatillon on Friday night.

In the build-up to their Six Nations championship, following the match against Spain earlier this month, Scotland Women took on the Army in a training game last weekend at Percy Park RFC, Tynemouth. Tries from Lauren Harris, Victoria Blakebrough and Annabel Sergeant, along with a conversion from Caroline Collie, saw the Scots win 17-0.

New head coach Karen Findlay said: "The games against Spain and the Army earlier this month have enabled us to have a good look at the extended squad. We have new faces in the front and second rows; we have an exciting prospect at full-back in Caroline Collie, a well-established footballer with over 70 Scottish caps at various age levels; and there's great potential from the bench, too, with winger Lauren Harris and hooker Lindsey Smith.

"Our games against France are always great events and it'll be fantastic playing under the floodlights in front of the crowds that the women's game attracts over there. They have a new young team, too, so I'm sure the French will be just as motivated as we are to put in the performance."

Scotland Women (v France Women, Friday 4 February at Viry-Chtillon, kick-off 8pm local time): C Collie (OA Saints), V Blakebrough (Richmond), S Johnston (Hillhead / Jordanhill), L Martin (Murrayfield Wanderers), K Green (Murrayfield Wanderers), T Griffith (RHC Cougars), L Dalgliesh (RHC Cougars); H Lockhart (Hillhead/Jordanhill), A MacDonald (RHC Cougars), T Balmer (Worcester), K Muir (RAF), R Murphy (Edinburgh University), L Wheeler (Darlington Mowden Sharks), R Slaven (Murrayfield Wanderers), S Brown (Richmond). Substitutes: L Smith (Hillhead/Jordanhill), B Dickens (Murrayfield Wanderers), A Swan (Edinburgh University), C Veale (Wasps), A Sergeant (Dundee University), L Harris (Aberdeenshire Quines), N Halfpenny (Melrose).