Gary Heatly in Bristol
Howe of Fife product Molly Poolman admits she is still taking in the achievement of making her Women’s Rugby World Cup debut at the weekend.
The 21-year-old tighthead prop entered the fray off the bench in the 40-19 Pool B decider defeat to Canada at Sandy Park in Exeter after just 24 minutes on Saturday after Lisa Cockburn suffered a head injury.
On her sixth cap, she acquitted herself well against the second best team in the world and is now in with a good shout of being involved in this coming Sunday’s quarter-final versus the best team in the world England in Bristol.
“I honestly don’t think I’ve been able to reflect on this whole World Cup journey so far, it’s been bang, bang, bang and now I have played,” the Watsonians and Edinburgh Rugby starlet said.
“I know when I get time to take it all in and talk it through with my family I’ll just be proud of myself for going out there and giving it my all.
“Being on the bench you do have to have that mindset that you can come on at any point. I definitely had to turn on the rugby brain a little bit earlier than I thought I might, but as soon as I got on I felt ready to go and all of my team mates were supporting me.
“I think we’re a bit frustrated by the score in the end, but we are all really, really proud of the performance.
“Going up against the second best side in the world you’ve got to take it to them and we did that. We let silly errors get in our way, but overall, it was a good performance.”
Back in Cupar, the Howe Harlequins women’s squad and the wider Howe of Fife club watched Poolman in action on the TV at the Duffus Park clubhouse.
- A round up of the Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership weekend action is here.
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.
Molly Poolman and her supporters back in Fife are pictured – thanks to Ruby Adam Photography and Howe of Fife
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.