Scotland opened up their WXV2 campaign by getting the better of South Africa in a tough and physical match by 31-17. That made it four wins on the trot for the Scots and saw them top the table at the end of the first round.
Here are the talking points from the match.
Capitalising on their strengths
The teams were fairly evenly matched but in the two set pieces, South Africa dominated at scrum time and Scotland at the line out and maul. One of the biggest contributors to Scotland’s win was their ability to capitalise on that dominance.
It started with a good attacking strategy that saw Scotland able to play their way up the field or kick well for territory when at an impasse. And then when they did win a penalty, Helen Nelson’s assured boot ensured they would be near the South Africa try line.
From there, Lana Skeldon’s accurate throwing and Emma Wassell and Louise McMillan’s imperious lineout work gave them the platform for four of the five tries. And even when it an attacking lineout did not result in a try, it was usually because it was stopped illegally, allowing Scotland to go again.
Meanwhile, South Africa won, by my count, six scrum penalties, but failed to take much advantage – mostly because either touch was missed or Scotland managed to disrupt or win the resulting line out.
Their second try did come from a sequence of penalties that started with a scrum one (and a good resulting touch-finder) but it wasn’t much to show for the Bok front row’s efforts.
Stars throughout the pack
This was a battle of the forwards, with South Africa’s incredible tighthead captain Babalwa Latsha and back row supremo Aseza Hele particularly standing out. But Scotland’s forwards also gave an impressive showing.
Skeldon’s line out throwing was near perfect, she took her tries well and also contributed around the park, winning player of the match. Evie Gallagher must have been a close second; not only did she power off the back of the maul for the opening try, but she seemed to be there to rip the ball half the time their opponents carried, as well as carrying well and running important support lines to clear out rucks quickly.
McMillan similarly disrupted South Africa’s lineouts and mauls and was a pacy option in attack. And Wassell was at her magnificent best at lineout time, whether in attack or defence.
Midfield dilemmas
It will be interesting to see how much coach Bryan Easson is looking to experiment with selections in this WXV campaign. Choosing the 10-12-13 combination for the next games is going to be tough. To the best of my recollection, this is the first time Meryl Smith has had a chunk of time at 10 at international level and she really impressed filling the role from the bench.
With Nelson (who was also excellent) and Smith both able to play 10 or 12 and both on form, Lisa Thomson adept at 12 and 13 and Emma Orr continuing to shine at 13, there are multiple combinations that could be tried across the midfield, perhaps depending on the opposition. And that’s not even counting bringing in the reliable Sarah Law at 10.
Smith’s versatility may make her an ideal bench option for now, but it is great to see so many options.
That winning confidence shines through
Scotland had very little territory or possession in the opening quarter, and were not able to get on the scoreboard in that period. Perhaps in the bad run Scotland had last year, this would have led to frustration or a drop in confidence. But being on a good winning run, Scotland stayed patient.
They believed in their attack, which involved pacy, hard running at the slightest gap, and the confidence to pass or offload quickly and crisply and keep the ball alive. That gave them much of the field position from which they won the penalties that led to the attacking lineouts.
The same happened when South Africa got their last try and turned it into a one-score game, and shortly afterwards Scotland had a try ruled out. Scotland soaked up pressure when they needed to, stayed calm, and struck back to improve their points difference, which could be important in the final WXV2 table.
The shop window the teams deserve
This was a really excellent test match, played full throttle with no quarter given. You can’t always be sure what type of coverage a women’s tournament, particularly a new one, is going to get.
However, it was genuinely good, with quality pictures and enthusiastic, entertaining and well-informed commentators. Thankfully unlike the men’s World Cup, there seems to be a less ridiculous crackdown on sharing clips from the game and there’s a chance you’ve seen Libbie Janse Van Rensburg’s brutal hit on Chloe Rollie being shared on social media.
Although much of the rugby media is focused on the men’s World Cup, hopefully proper presentation of these matches and allowing fans to share their memorable moments will ensure WXV showcases international women’s rugby and continues to grow the fanbase.
