We'll be ready for World Cup showdown, vows Kennedy

Scotland Women's stalwart Donna Kennedy believes the current Scotland squad has a good blend of youth and experience as the countdown begins to next month's World Cup with a warm-up match against Ireland today.

The match, to be played over three periods of 30 minutes at Lasswade's Hawthornden ground (1pm), will be the Scots' last before they head for Surrey to take on Canada, France and Sweden in the pool stages of the big event.

In the RBS Six Nations the team defeated France and drew with Italy, but the results do not tell the full story. The performances overall were greatly improved on the previous year and the squad also competed with South Africa well recently in two Tests.

Much of the improvement has been down to the coaching of Gary Parker and Jared Tuoro who have instilled a belief and an ethos of hard work into the players since taking over late in 2009.

Back-row forward Kennedy, who has 110 caps to her name and starts on the bench today, said: "The women's game has moved on in skill levels, pace and physicality over the last few years and we have had to try and keep up with that. I think in the last season the whole squad has upped their game and we are confident that we can compete with most teams.

"We know there is still a lot to work on and our game management needs to be better, but I am encouraged by the mix of youth and experience in the squad with new players like Celia Hawthorn and Nicola Halfpenny having really impressed me working alongside the experienced heads."

One major change that Parker has made since he took over has been to host a Tuesday night training session for all the home-based players. Worcester's Kennedy has not been at many of these, but she knows what a difference it has made allowing the elite players work together on a regular basis.

"When players are training with clubs, the sessions are not always intense and often there is no coach, but by all accounts these sessions have been brilliant. This game should let the coaches see what we need to work on as we aim to peak for the pool games."

In March Ireland defeated Scotland 15-3 in Ashbourne.

Scotland Women (team to face Ireland today at Lasswade, kick-off 1pm): N Halfpenny (Melrose); C Hawthorn (Edinburgh University), L Millard (Team Northumbria), S Newton (Team Northumbria), L Douglas (Wasps); E Kerr (Wasps), S Gill (Murrayfield Wanderers); H Lockhart (Hillhead/Jordanhill), S-L Walker (Watsonians), B Dickens (Murrayfield Wanderers), L Moffat (Murrayfield Wanderers), S Brown (Richmond), L Reid (RHC Cougars), K Holdworth, R Slaven (Murrayfield Wanderers). Subs: D Kennedy (Worcester), R Murphy (Edinburgh University), G McCord (RHC Cougars), A Macdonald (RHC Cougars), L Wheeler (Darlington Mowden Sharks), T Forsberg (Murrayfield Wanderers), S Johnston (Hillhead/Jordanhill), T Griffith (RHC Cougars), L Dalgliesh (RHC Cougars).