It is a big Saturday for props Anne Young and Elliann Clarke as they both make their first starts for their country in the Vodafone Series with Fiji.
Scotland are looking to build on last Friday’s 40-14 triumph over Wales, make it 10 Test wins out of 13 and head to WXV 2 next week in fine fettle.
The sixth in the world side know that Fiji will be physical and look to play quickly, but Easson has backed his troops to do a job over the 14th in the world side at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.
He has made eight changes to the starting XV and the two names that jump off the page are loosehead prop Young at number one and tighthead prop Elliann Clarke at number three.
They have both been around the squad for a while now, with 11 and 12 caps respectively and a Rugby World Cup trip and a WXV 2 title under their belts, but they have had to bide their time on the bench behind Leah Bartlett and Christine Belisle.
Young, 24, recently joined Loughborough Lightning and has come through via Helensburgh, Hillhead Jordanhill, University of Edinburgh and Sale Sharks.
Clarke, 23, took up the game in the mini section at Dunfermline and has since played for Stirling County, University of Edinburgh and Bristol Bears.
“Anne has just got better all the time, her set piece is great, but so is her rugby playing ability and that fits in with the way we are trying to play these days,” Easson said.
“She is just growing and growing and growing and it is deserved that both her and Elliann start, they are progressing all the time.
“Elliann has gone from strength to strength since she joined Bristol last summer.
“She is scrummaging against the likes of England caps Sarah Bern and Hannah Botterman at training day in and day out and she has really grown as a person and deserves this chance.
“Anne and Elliann are both brilliant people.
“Disappointment is always going to be part of performance sport and you are always going to be disappointed when you don’t start or don’t get as many minutes as you’d like, but both have been brilliant around taking feedback, learning and growing as players and as people.
“I am very excited to see how they go in this match.”
Meanwhile, in one of the other changes to the starting XV, 28-year-old scrum-half Caity Mattinson will play her first match since suffering an injury versus Ireland in the final Guinness Women’s Six Nations match in April.
“That neck injury that she sustained versus Ireland was a tough one because she had to go through rehab and with any neck injury you have to make sure the rehab is right all of the way through,” Easson said ahead of Mattinson’s 24th cap.
“The care that she has had with the medical team here and the strength and conditional work she has done with head of physical performance Josie Symonds as well as her own diligence has got her back to this stage and it’s great to see.”
Louise McMillan comes into the second-row and Rachel McLachlan and Jade Konkel join the back-row while Lisa Thomson is at 12 and Rhona Lloyd comes in on the wing.
Meryl Smith moves from 12 to 10 and prop Lisa Cockburn earns a bench spot.
The match kicks-off at 4.45pm and will be live across the BBC.
Taylor Winyard, an ocean rower of some standing, will be delivering the match ball with Emma Wassell acting as assistant team manager for the day.
Scotland women’s matchday squad for the Vodafone Series clash with Fiji
15 Chloe Rollie (Ealing Trailfinders) (66)
14 Rhona Lloyd (Les Lionnes du Stade Bordelais/GB Sevens) (50)
13 Emma Orr (Bristol Bears) (13)
12 Lisa Thomson (Ealing Trailfinders/GB Sevens) (60)
11 Coreen Grant (Saracens) (12)
10 Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears) (18)
9 Caity Mattinson (Ealing Trailfinders) (23)
1 Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning) (11)
2 Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears) (70)
3 Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears) (12)
4 Louise McMillan (Saracens) (54)
5 Sarah Bonar (Harlequins) (38)
6 Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning, C) (48)
7 Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier) (43)
8 Jade Konkel (Harlequins) (63)
Subs
16 Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) (11)
17 Lisa Cockburn (Gloucester-Hartpury) (30)
18 Christine Belisle (Loughbrough Lightning) (36)
19 Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers) (12)
20 Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears) (28)
21 Leia Brebner-Holden (Gloucester-Hartpury/Cheltenham Tigers) (1)
22 Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning) (61)
23 Lucia Scott (Hartpury University/Gloucester Hartpury) (1)
Thanks to N50 Photography for the images of Anne Young and Elliann Clarke from the captain’s run
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