Emily Scarratt, who is set to win her 118th England cap off the bench this coming weekend, has played alongside enough Scots at club level in recent years to know that they like nothing better than battling for 80 minutes.
And heading to Mattioli Woods Welford Road this Saturday the country will need 23 players who are willing to scrap for the whole Guinness Women’s Six Nations round four clash with the Red Roses.
The world’s best team have won three from three so far in the tournament and are looking a good bet for another title while the Scots are heading into this one off the back of a disappointing 25-17 home defeat to Italy in round three last Sunday.
They have lost their last 26 matches in all competitions to the Red Roses since a 15-13 win in the European Championship in Italy way back in 1999 so go into this meeting as massive underdogs, but they are not heading south just to make up the numbers.
“You can never take Scotland lightly and in Rachel Malcolm as captain they have someone who I know well and who is a passionate Scot and a real leader,” Loughborough Lightning centre Scarratt, who is from Leicester where the game is being played, said.
“I know that Scotland had a tough loss against Italy when things didn’t go the way they would have wanted to, but whether they had won or lost that game I don’t think they would have been needing any extra motivation before they headed down to play us and, as always against Scotland, we are expecting to play against a very motivated opposition on Saturday.
“They will be hurting from the Italy game and they will be looking to react so we know we will have to be ‘at it’ to make sure we get the performance and the result that we are looking for.
“Scotland will want to show the real version of themselves and we will be respectful of that.
“And I think that Scotland have really grown as a side over the last two years since we played them in Newcastle in 2023.
“They won WXV 2 in 2023, got to their highest world ranking ever last year [five] and have a lot more players to pick from now.
“A large number of their squad are now playing regularly in the PWR now and as individuals and as a squad they have grown and become more confident. They have all taken things from their clubs and managed to put things together with Scotland and they have been building pretty nicely.”
Over the last two games against France and Italy, Scarratt’s young Lightning team mate Becky Boyd, the second-row who can also play six, has earned her first couple of caps for the Scots.
Scarratt, 35, said: “It has been awesome to see. Becky has come through the Loughborough University programme and she has had a couple of games for Loughborough Lightning.
“She hasn’t had lots of PWR game time yet, but we have seen it in training at the club that she is a real physical presence and we saw that at the weekend when she carried a good number of times against Italy.
“It has been great to see her get her first couple of caps for Scotland, obviously they have picked up a few injuries and knocks along the way so her chance has come maybe quicker than she thought, but she looks to have grabbed it well.
“Her selection shows the depth that Scotland are growing.”
Via Loughborough, Scarratt also knows another second-row well in the shape of Emma Wassell and, like the rest of us, the Rugby World Cup 2014 winner, was in awe at the way the forward from Ellon dealt with the tumour in her chest diagnosis last year.
“Anyone who knows Wass knows that she is one heck of a character and she was so unbelievably positive during her illness and her time in hospital and she continues to be just know with her rehab to return to playing ongoing,” Scarratt stated.
“She has had a ridiculous journey over the last six to nine months, but she has faced up to it all and although she is a big loss on the field for Scotland just now she is still in and around camp and I’m sure that will be helping others and making them smile.
“She is always giving out good vibes and we all hope to se her back playing when she is fit and ready, she still has a bit of a way to go, but it would be great to see her playing for Scotland at the World Cup later in the year.”
- The Saracens’ hooker May Campbell, who grew up in Scotland and started playing rugby at Stirling County before moving south for secondary school, has been named on the England bench for this clash and could earn her third cap versus Scotland – full team news here.
The Guinness Women’s Six Nations runs from March 22 to April 26 and, next up at home, Scotland are at Hive Stadium in round five versus Ireland on the final day – get tickets here.
Emily Scarratt is pictured – thanks to RFU
GH Media will be covering Scotland women’s journey right through to Rugby World Cup 2025, bringing insight from within the camp throughout and featuring other parts of the game in this country too – thanks to those already supporting the content, if you or your company would like to get involved please email gary@gh-media.co.uk