They say in rugby that tightheads are always learning their trade pretty much until the day that they retire – and there is no doubt that up-and-coming prop Molly Poolman has learnt a lot in the last eight months.
The 20-year-old from Cupar battled back from an ankle injury sustained in the under-20 Six Nations Women’s Summer Series in July to get back in time to start for Edinburgh Rugby in their Celtic Challenge campaign that began in the middle of December.
She started the first two games, wins against Glasgow Warriors and Brython Thunder, before things were stopped in their tracks in early January when she was cited and handed a four-match ban.
After champing at the bit for a while she was then back in action in time to play in the rematch against Glasgow in mid-February and then the three subsequent matches.
All four of them were defeats as a tough campaign for Edinburgh ended, but during that time Poolman was one of nine uncapped players named in the Scotland training squad for the upcoming Guinness Women’s Six Nations with national team head coach Bryan Easson stating he was pleased with her progress and “hard work”.
It means that over the last few weeks she has been in training with the Scots and learning from the other tightheads like Christine Belisle and Elliann Clarke.
So, a real few months of ups and downs for Poolman, but she has taken learnings from it all and is definitely a player to watch out for in the future.
“It has been an interesting time for sure,” she said with a wry smile.
“It all really started when I was in Italy with the under-20s last summer and was training and playing well until the ninth minute of our match against France when I suffered an ankle injury and that was the tournament over for me.
“I remember it quite vividly, I was trying to step with my feet and just a combination of things after the opposition player grabbed me meant that my right foot got caught in the ground.
“I tried to get up and carry on, but then I went down to the ground and it was clear then that it might have been quite a bad injury.
“Myself and Ellie Williamson, who was also injured, stayed out in Italy and although I had not managed to play the whole tournament I’d still got some under-20 international rugby under my belt to go with my Futures experience from the year before and Edinburgh Celtic Challenge involvement in 20 23/24, so although I knew I was set for a spell on the sidelines I tried to look at the positives all of the experiences I had gained up to that point when I was still just 20.”
After an MRI scan on return to Scotland, Poolman then had surgery and from that moment onwards her aim was always to get back from the expanded Celtic Challenge for 2024/25 starting in December.
“I was in a boot on crutches for six weeks, two things I’d never had to deal with before, so it was tricky and it wasn’t the prettiest thing watching me get about,” she joked.
“Seriously though, because I had the Celtic Challenge as my goal and was working alongside some great medics I was always really focused during my rehab and I tried to tick off small goals as I went along.
“I had loved the Celtic Challenge last season and it had really given me a glimpse of the next level of the game so I was buzzing to get back out on the pitch when we played Glasgow.
“Obviously you can get fit again, but to get rugby ready and back to scrummaging and things can take time.
“I was pleased with how that game and the Brython one went before the break and more recently it has been good to be back playing once again and training alongside some great players with Edinburgh and Scotland.
“As a young prop you are always picking things up in each session so I’ll just keep working hard going forward and see where it takes me.”
Poolman’s rugby journey began at Howe of Fife when she joined the Minis when she was in primary seven after having already tried her hand at karate.
Whilst in senior school at Bell Baxter High School she played for the Howe and Tayside and Fife and then, at 17 got dispensation to play in the back-row for Howe Harlequins senior team.
Poolman then moved to the capital for her studies which continue at Heriot-Watt University – she is now in third year of a sport and exercise science degree – while and she has so far helped her current club side Watsonians win two Sarah Beaney Cups.
Scotland have had three recent training camps and from WC March 17 it’ll be all eyes on – and full steam ahead – for the Six Nations 2025 with Wales up first at Hive Stadium on March 22.
Scotland women’s training squad (number of caps in brackets, uncapped players in bold)
Forwards
Leah Bartlett – Leicester Tigers (38)
Christine Belisle – Loughborough Lightning (40)
Becky Boyd – Loughborough Lightning (uncapped)
Sarah Bonar – Harlequins (42)
Elliann Clarke – Bristol Bears (15)
Hollie Cunningham – Bristol Bears (uncapped)
Evie Gallagher – Bristol Bears (31)
Adelle Ferrie – Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars (uncapped)
Jade Konkel – Harlequins (66)
Rachel Malcolm – Loughborough Lightning (52, C)
Elis Martin – Loughborough Lightning (15)
Rachel McLachlan – Montpellier (46)
Aila Ronald – Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh (uncapped)
Molly Poolman – Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonians (uncapped)
Lana Skeldon – Bristol Bears (74)
Alex Stewart – Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars (8)
Anne Young – Loughborough Lightning (15)
Molly Wright – Sale Sharks (23)
Backs
Leia Brebner-Holden – Loughborough Lightning (5)
Beth Blacklock – Saracens (3)
Rhea Clarke – Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh (uncapped)
Rhona Lloyd – Les Lionnes du Stade Bordelais (52)
Caity Mattinson – Trailfinders Women (27)
Francesca McGhie – Leicester Tigers (17)
Liz Musgrove – Trailfinders Women (18)
Helen Nelson – Loughborough Lightning (65, V-C)
Rachel Philipps – Sale Sharks – (uncapped)
Chloe Rollie – Trailfinders Women (70)
Lucia Scott – Edinburgh Rugby/Gloucester-Hartpury (3)
Emma Orr – Bristol Bears (24)
Lisa Thomson – Trailfinders Women (64)
Hannah Walker – Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh (uncapped)
Evie Wills – Leicester Tigers (3)
Meg Varley – Bristol Bears (uncapped)
Day trainers invited into camp to support their development (all uncapped)
Forwards
Talei Tawake – Edinburgh Rugby/Watsonians
Holland Bogan – Glasgow Warriors/Stirling County
Natasha Logan – Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh
Emily Coubrough – Glasgow Warriors/University of Edinburgh
Backs
Hannah Ramsay – Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh
Poppy Mellanby – Glasgow Warriors/Biggar
Thanks to Scottish Rugby of the image of Molly Poolman at national squad training recently
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