Scotland Women make two changes in bid to get World Cup hopes back on track against Spain

Scotland Women will look to get their Rugby World Cup hopes back on track when they take on Spain in their second qualifier tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.
Rachel McLachlan (left) and Louise McMillan come into the Scotland starting line-up for the World Cup qualifier against Spain.




(Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Rachel McLachlan (left) and Louise McMillan come into the Scotland starting line-up for the World Cup qualifier against Spain.




(Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Rachel McLachlan (left) and Louise McMillan come into the Scotland starting line-up for the World Cup qualifier against Spain. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The 38-13 defeat to Italy in the opening match of their four-team European group section on Monday put a dent in Scotland's hopes of qualifying for next year's tournament in New Zealand.

Only the winners of the group, which also features Ireland, will qualify automatically with the runners-up progressing into a final qualifying round.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Head coach Bryan Easson has made two changes to his starting line-up to face a Spanish side who secured one of their greatest ever results in the opening round of fixtures after a dramatic late try sealed an 8-7 win over Ireland.

Louise McMillan comes into the second-row in place of Sarah Bonar, who is unavailable due to work commitments, while Rachel McLachlan steps into the back-row from the bench.

Easson said: “Our opening match of the tournament was a disappointment and not a true reflection of the hard work our players have put in over the past year.

“We will be put to the test against Spain, who we expect to be extremely motivated following their result against Ireland last weekend, but our players have responded well on-and-off the pitch this week and are determined to deliver a performance that keeps our qualification chances in sight.”

Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon and Christine Belisle once again join forces in the front-row, while Emma Wassell starts alongside McMillan in the second-row.

The match takes place Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma, kicking off at 5pm UK time, and will be shown live on BBC Alba.

Get a year of unlimited access to all The Scotsman's sport coverage without the need for a full subscription. Expert analysis of the biggest games, exclusive interviews, live blogs, transfer news and 70 per cent fewer ads on Scotsman.com - all for less than £1 a week. Subscribe to us today

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.