Becky Boyd has been looking back on her first year as part of the full Scotland squad and says that she has “really enjoyed” it.
The Loughborough Lightning second-row/back-row previously trained with England under-20s having grown up down south and having begun her rugby journey aged 16 with Grimsby and then with Newark.
However, a grandfather with connections to Glasgow meant that Boyd, now 21 and turning 22 on Sunday, was eligible for the Scots and former head coach Bryan Easson first bought her into the fold with the full squad before last year’s Women’s Six Nations.
Caps in that tournament came against France, Italy and England before she was named in the squad for the Rugby World Cup a few months later, but was unused at the showpiece event.
During this year’s Six Nations under new head coach Sione Fukofuka, Boyd came off the bench against Italy in round three and then started at No.8 against France last time out.
Although usually more of a six when deployed in the back-row, she did a good job at the back of the scrum versus the title chasing visitors to Hive Stadium and may well get the nod in the same jersey for the round five game versus Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.
“I enjoyed it against France, it was obviously very new for me playing No.8 as I’ve mainly been a second-row or a six in my career so far, but it was a good challenge for me,” she stated.
“I was scrummaging elsewhere in the France game than where I am used to, but apart from that I tried to do the same things that I always do.
“As a team, there’s still more to improve on going forward, but getting a four-try bonus point from that game [in a 69-28 defeat] was definitely a small win.
“I’ve really enjoyed my year or so being part of the Scotland set up so far.
“I think rugby-wise, obviously playing and training here in this environment you come on a lot so that’s been good and the group is just really nice.
“It’s a really good environment to be in, both socially and from a rugby perspective.”
Having missed out on being on the pitch in the World Cup or at the Principality Stadium or Murrayfield earlier in this competition, if Boyd is involved at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday in front of a crowd of over 30,000 then it will be one of the biggest matches of her fledgling career top date.
Ireland are third in the standings and Scotland are fifth and Boyd stated: “I think Ireland have got quite a big pack, specifically in the back five of the scrum and, obviously, they like to use that strength.
“I think we just have to front up physically and make sure we make our tackles because if we let them go forward using their physicality, they’ll get a lot of benefit from that.
“Hopefully we can shut that threat down and play our own game too
“I’m really excited for this match, this is the first really big stadium for me to play in whilst representing Scotland. I didn’t start at the Principality or Murrayfield last month so this will be a great experience if I am involved.”
The Scotland matchday 23 is due to be named on Friday lunchtime.
Becky Boyd is pictured in action versus France – thanks to N50 Photography
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