Gary Heatly in Manchester
Elis Martin will make just her third start for her country on Saturday in the Women’s Rugby World Cup match versus Fiji (2.45pm, live on BBC Two) – and both head coach and captain believe she will grab the opportunity with both hands.
The 26-year-old hooker, who came through the ranks at Hillhead Jordanhill and Edinburgh University, now plays for Loughborough Lightning in England’s top flight.
She has 23 Scotland caps to her name after making a debut in 2022, but 21 of them have been off the bench such has been the consistency of regular number two Lana Skeldon.
Skeldon currently has an ankle injury so Martin, who came on for her in the Pool B opening bonus point win over Wales in Manchester last weekend, will now start at the same Salford Community Stadium venue this time around. Before the big event she had her own plantar fascia injury issues, but seems to have recovered well.
“I thought she was excellent when she came on versus Wales,” head coach Bryan Easson said as he named his matchday 23 to take on Fiji on Thursday.
“And she’s been excellent just around everything that she does. Her work off the pitch to get herself back [from injury] to get to the tournament and then to come on and play like that says a lot about her character.
“I thought her lineout was good last week, I thought she carried well, she can be really physical and that’s her USP. She understands what she is good at and she sticks to it.
“She’s a different kind of threat, a different kind of hooker than Lana and, actually, she probably suits the game this weekend. She deserves this chance.
Captain Rachel Malcolm said: “Elis is someone who I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for because her story over the last four or five years has been phenomenal.
“She’s someone who came back from pretty major injury very early in her career. She was in and out of training camps for a little while and then she got pulled into the World Cup squad last time due to injury, but didn’t play.
“Since then, she’s become such a main character within the squad both on and off the pitch.
“To see her thriving no has been so inspiring for me because she has worked so hard for it.
“Elis is someone that has truly grafted both on and off the pitch and I think the way she influences this group in terms of the happiness that she brings and just the personality she brings is someone that we all love.
“Her excellent Six Nations performances speak for themselves because every time she came on the pitch she made a difference and she made an impact. She did the same against Wales last week and I think she fully deserves this opportunity.”
Martin coming in is the only change to the starting XV with loosehead prop Anne Young and second-row Adelle Ferrie coming onto the bench with Molly Wright shifting to the 16 shirt to cover hooker and Jade Konkel injured.
The 38-8 bonus point win over the Welsh now makes Scotland favourites to progress to the quarter-finals from Pool B behind likely group winners Canada. That would mean a probable knock-out tie with world number one side England on September 14.
However, there is a lot of rugby to be played before then and, after Fiji, there is a meeting with world number two Canada in Exeter on September 6.
- Scotland’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations game at Murrayfield versus England is selling very well.
Scotland squad to play Fiji: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie; Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Elis Martin, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (C), Rachel McLachlan, Evie Gallagher. Subs: Molly Wright, Anne Young, Lisa Cockburn, Adelle Ferrie, Eva Donaldson, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Beth Blacklock.
The Fiji matchday 23 is here.
Elis Martin, third from left, is pictured during the anthems last weekend – thanks to Ruby Adam Photography
From August 7 until September 30, GH Media will be following the Scotland World Cup journey all of the way. We will be at all of the Scotland matches down south and will be bringing you all of the interviews and news from camp as well as taking a wider look at the tournament as a whole and its impact on the women’s game. Thanks to Quirky Chocolate and other supporters for allowing this content to happen and to readers for engaging with it.