Gary Heatly in Manchester
Experienced Scotland forwards Lana Skeldon and Jade Konkel are set to miss the Women’s Rugby World Cup encounter with Fiji on Saturday.
Hooker Skeldon, the 31-year-old who has 82 caps, injured her ankle versus Ireland in the warm up Summer Test and had a race on her hands to be fit for last weekend’s showpiece event opener with Wales.
However, she made it and played 47 minutes from the start in the impressive 38-8 bonus point Pool B victory while back-row Konkel, the 31-year-old, earned her 72nd cap off the bench in the last 20 minutes of that one.
She missed the warm-up Summer Tests against Italy and Ireland with a hamstring injury.
The Bristol Bears and Harlequins players are not set to take on Fiji this coming weekend at the same Salford Community Stadium as the Wales clash was played at though.
“It is likely that Lana Skeldon and Jade Konkel will have a one week break due to injury, it is an ankle and maybe a hamstring low level [respectively],” assistant coach Steve Shingler said from the Scotland base in Manchester on Tuesday.
“It’s just precautionary and gives them the best chance to make sure they can go on and play a number of games in this tournament.
“It’s a collision sport, you often pick up niggles in the first game of a big event like a World Cup so to come out of the Wales match fairly unscathed [in terms of injuries] and with a good result, we’ll take it.”
Shingler said that the rest of the players in the 32-strong wider squad are all training and are fit with the matchday 23 for Saturday to be named on Thursday.
The result against Wales 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 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad
Forwards: Leah Bartlett, Becky Boyd, Sarah Bonar, Elliann Clarke, Lisa Cockburn, Eva Donaldson, Evie Gallagher, Adelle Ferrie, Jade Konkel, Rachel Malcolm (C), Elis Martin, Rachel McLachlan, Molly Poolman, Lana Skeldon, Alex Stewart, Emma Wassell, Molly Wright, Anne Young.
Backs: Leia Brebner-Holden, Beth Blacklock, Rhea Clarke, Coreen Grant, Rhona Lloyd, Caity Mattinson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Emma Orr, Hannah Ramsay, Chloe Rollie, Lisa Thomson, Hannah Walker, Evie Wills.
Lana Skeldon and Jade Konkel are pictured – 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.