Gary Heatly in Manchester
Steve Shingler admits that the chance to join Scotland’s coaching team for the Women’s Rugby World Cup came as a bit of a surprise, but he grabbed it with both hands and has found the experience “very rewarding” so far.
Scotland looked set to have Matt Banahan as their attack coach heading into the big event in England that is running between August 22 until September 27, but in between the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and now he took up a role with PWR side Gloucester-Hartpury.
As a result, head coach Bryan Easson needed someone to come in and he turned to 34-year-old SAhingler, a former pro stand-off himself who is currently with Trailfinders Women in a permanent coaching role.
He joined Scotland in the build up to the World Cup and he said: “I’m very grateful for Trailfinders for allowing me to have the opportunity.
“I actually came up to Scotland during March when they were prepping for the Six Nations as we have got a fair few Scotland players in the Trailfinders squad. It was just to say hello really and how they were getting on.
“That was the first introduction to Bryan. He’s always very open and asking for feedback and we talked about some areas that we’d probably implement or may suggest they look at to make themselves even better.
Then after the Banners [Matt Banahan] stuff happened I spoke to Lisa Thomson and then Bryan around my birthday in June when I was in Tenerife and he asked me to come on board. I said I’d love the opportunity, but would need to check with Trailfinders and then it just kind of snowballed from there.
“I’ve found it very rewarding so far. We’d seen some glimpses against Italy and Ireland [in terms of attack] in the Summer Tests and it was about piecing things together to take on Wales last weekend.”
And piece it together the team did, scoring six tries to defeat Wales 38-8 with a bonus point while scoring six tries in the process and looking pleasing on the eye at the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester on Saturday.
“I was delighted with the six tries, it was a good day at the office,” Shingler, who was called up to play for Scotland men in 2012 but was then deemed ineligible having played for Wales under-20, stated.
“It’s now really positive as we try and build on a very good performance and a result.
“Hopefully we can take that to Fiji and we want to have the confidence to express ourselves as a team, both with and without the ball.
“Fiji are not as prescriptive as maybe some other teams so it is just about identifying what you can. It’s saying to the players ‘here’s the pictures we’re seeing and here’s the decisions that I would probably go with’.”
Shingler, whose mother is Scottish although he has a Welsh accent, is known as an exciting up-and-coming coach in the women’s game who is very detailed, likes to build up positive relationships with players and likes preparations for games to tell a story so that the players can they try and live out that story in the match.
So, what has been the story leading up to Fiji this Saturday in Manchester?
The story for Fiji is a lot about controlling the field position,” he said.
“We are looking to play a little bit further down the field as we know around that middle third that whilst they’re on the attack they’ve got very, very good threats.
“We will be trying to nullify the many threats they’ve got. We know we’ve got a plan that we want to try to stick to, but when you are up against a team with unpredictability in their defensive structures and team structures like Fiji it’s about being solid first of all, controlling field position and playing what is in front of you.”
The result against the Welsh 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.
The Scotland matchday 23 for Fiji is due to be named on Thursday.
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.
Steve Shingler is pictured – thanks to Scottish Rugby
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.
