A revamped Scotland Women’s rugby team will battle against Italy at Meggetland this Sunday, in a match that will decide the RBS 6 Nations wooden spoon.
There have been 11 changes to the side that suffered an 89-0 hiding at the hands of England at Twickenham last Sunday. Three of the changes are in personnel and the remaining eight are positional.
Among the changes in the pack Alison MacDonald will start at hooker, Jemma Forsyth at lock and Lindsay Wheeler switches to No 8, replacing captain Susie Brown, who will earn her 50th cap from the openside.
In the backline Stephanie Johnstone moves to the wing, Lisa Martin is starting at inside centre, with Laura Steven partnering at outside, putting Annabel Sergeant to the wing and Katy Green to full-back.
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Head coach, Karen Findlay said: “Last weekend at Twickenham was an extremely tough lesson and an introduction to the level at which the second best team in the women’s game competes.
“Our players, who are at a totally different stage of development, were still playing and looking to try to make something happen in the last quarter of the match, an indication of the courage there is in this new young team.”
Scotland currently lie in last place in the championship, two points adrift of Italy, but belief in the camp is high ahead of their final outing at home.
“No one is sitting feeling sorry for themselves,” Findlay continued. There has been a lot of self-reflection and the only focus now, going into this weekend, is to come out of the blocks fighting.”
Scotland Women v Italy Women, Sunday 20 March at Meggetland (kick-off 3pm)
15 Katy Green (Murrayfield Wanderers) 14 Annabel Sergeant (Dundee University) 13 Laura Steven (Murrayfield Wanderers) 12 Lisa Martin (Murrayfield Wanderers) 11 Stephanie Johnstone (Hillhead/Jordanhill) 10 Tanya Griffith (RHC Cougars) 9 Louise Dalgleish (RHC Cougars) 1 Heather Lockhart (Hillhead/Jordanhill) 2 Alison MacDonald (RHC Cougars) 3 Tracy Balmer (Worcester) 4 Anna Swan (Edinburgh University) 5 Jemma Forsyth (Hillhead/Jordanhill) 6 Charlotte Veale (Wasps) 7 Susannah Brown (Richmond, Captain) 8 Lindsay Wheeler (Darlington Mowden Sharks)
Substitutes
16 Lindsay Smith (Hillhead/Jordanhill) 17 Elizabeth Dickens (Murrayfield Wanderers) 18 Suzanne McKerlie-Hex (Kirkcaldy) 19 Ruth Slaven (Murrayfield Wanderers) 20 Tess Forsberg (Richmond) 21 Lauren Harris (Aberdeenshire Quines) 22 Lisa Ritchie (Carlisle)
Olivia Townley, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine
