Scotland head coach Bryan Easson has backed uncapped Gloucester-Hartpury duo Leia Brebner-Holden and Lucia Scott to make their mark from the bench if they get their opportunity to come on versus Wales on Friday evening.
Easson has named the backs, a 22-year-old scrum-half and 20-year-old full-back respectively, in his matchday 23 for the Vodafone Series opener at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh (7.35pm).
“Leia trained really hard during the Six Nations and I think she was 24th/25th player for each of those games without getting her chance, but now it comes,” he stated about Brebner-Holden who is also linked to Cheltenham Tigers and qualifies for the Scots through a mother from Inverness.
“She did really well as an overage player in the under-20 tournament in the summer and worked well during our pre-season block.
“She has good service, she is quick and she has been working on her kicking game.”
On Scott, who grew up down south, has a father and grandparents from the Glasgow area and is studying at Hartpury University, Easson added: “Lucia is a back three player who did well in the under-20s event in the summer too and to have her competing with a fit-again Chloe Rollie as another full-back option is good and gives us good attacking threats.”
In all there are five changes from the starting XV that played the last game of the Six Nations versus Ireland in April with hooker Lana Skeldon, second-rows Fi McIntosh and Sarah Bonar, scrum-half Mairi McDonald and full-back Rollie coming in.
Out are Elis Martin (bench), Emma Wassell (unavailable due to a medical issue), Louise McMillan (bench), Caity Mattinson (almost back from a head injury sustained in April) and Lisa Thomson (rested post-Olympic sevens) with Meryl Smith shifting from 15 to 12.
It is just Saracens’ McIntosh’s third cap and Easson said: “Fi has been training well, she is very good in the lineout and good under pressure and I think the blend with Sarah Bonar will be a good one in the second-row.”
With Mattinson not quite back in action yet the game gives McDonald a good chance to start in the number nine jersey having been used as a replacement generally of late.
“It is a really good opportunity for Mairi,” the head coach said.
“Last year we went to WXV 2 with two scrum-halves, so it is good to have three in the mix now with Caity, Mairi and Leia pushing each other.
“They are three positive nines who all have different strengths and Mairi has been doing well for us off the bench so it is a good opportunity for her to get more game time under her belt and back up her recent performances for a longer spell.”
On the bench there are six forwards alongside the two uncapped backs with experienced back-row Jade Konkel coming back in after an injury enforced absence.
The aforementioned Skeldon, the Bristol Bears front-rower from Hawick, is set to become just the seventh Scottish female player to reach 70 caps while the match will be live via Rugby Radio, more information here.
The Wales squad is here.
Scotland women’s matchday squad for the Vodafone Series clash with Wales (uncapped players in bold)
15 Chloe Rollie (Ealing Trailfinders) (65)
14 Francesca McGhie (Leicester Tigers) (12)
13 Emma Orr (Bristol Bears) (19)
12 Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears) (17)
11 Coreen Grant (Saracens) (11)
10 Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning, V-C) (60)
9 Mairi McDonald (Exeter Chiefs) (23)
1 Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers) (35)
2 Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears) (69)
3 Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning) (35)
4 Fi McIntosh (Saracens) (2)
5. Sarah Bonar (Harlequins) (37)
6 Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning, C) (47)
7 Alex Stewart (Corstorphine Cougars) (5)
8. Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears) (27)
Subs
16 Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) (10)
17 Anne Young (Loughborough Lightning) (10)
18 Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears) (11)
19 Louise McMillan (Saracens) (53)
20 Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers) (11)
21 Jade Konkel (Harlequins) (62)
22 Leia Brebner-Holden (Gloucester-Hartpury/Cheltenham Tigers) (uncapped)
23 Lucia Scott (Gloucester-Hartpury/Hartpury University) (uncapped)
Lucia Scott is pictured in training recently in the main photo as is Leia Brebner-Holden, thanks to Scottish Rugby/SNS
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