Gary Heatly in Manchester
We all know that Fijian teams like to play an offloading, expansive game, but we also know that they like physicality and hitting hard and Scotland tighthead prop Elliann Clarke is braced for a tough battle up front on Saturday afternoon (2.45pm, live on BBC Two).
The Scots are going into their second Pool B match in the Women’s Rugby World Cup off the back of a 38-8 bonus point win over Wales while Fiji lost their opener 65-7 versus Canada.
However, no one in the Scotland camp is taking this clash at the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester lightly and 23-cap number three Clarke, said: “We’ve spoken quite a lot this week about the fact that it’s going to be a battle up front and we absolutely have to be ready for that.
They’ve got a lot of fast backs and they’ve got an offloading game and unpredictable in that sense, but they will run hard at you and run fast at you.
“They’ll hit you hard in the scrum and in the maul so up front we’ve got to 100 percent be ready for it and we’ve trained well this week – we’re excited for the challenge.
“I think after Wales we are feeling really positive as a whole.
“I think over pre-season that was a game that we targeted as a squad and for us to come off and have a performance like that was just a really, really pleasing day for everyone involved.
“I think we all put a really good performance out there. Obviously, there’s stuff to work on for every game and we will be look to sharpen a few things up against Fiji.
“I think obviously it was a hugely emotionally charged weekend for us and then to switch back into Fiji took some time, but we reset and this game’s hugely important.
“We’re taking it game by game and this is our next challenge and we’re absolutely focused on it.”
Clarke, the 24-year-old Bristol Bears, began playing rugby at Dunfermline and her younger sister Rhea is also in the 32-strong Scotland squad for this big event in England. Before the Scotland-Fiji game, Canada and Wales meet at the same ground at noon.
The win versus Wales last weekend now makes the Scots favourites to progress to the quarter-finals from Pool B at the World Cup 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 this time out, there is a meeting with world number two Canada in Exeter on September 6.
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.
Elliann Clarke is pictured in action versus Wales – thanks to N50 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.