Scotland head coach Bryan Easson has confirmed his side for Sunday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against England, making two changes to the starting XV.
Jade Konkel is named at No. 8 for her first start of the tournament, with Evie Gallagher, who has scored two tries and is the competition’s top tackler so far, switching to openside flanker. On the blindside, captain Rachel Malcolm leads the team for the 53rd time, setting a national record for appearances as captain across all representative teams.
With Elliann Clarke and Lisa Cockburn unavailable due to knee and concussion protocols respectively, Christine Belisle – who started the tournament out of the squad, without a central contract and in retirement – starts at tighthead prop, joining Leah Bartlett at loosehead and Lana Skeldon at hooker. Sarah Bonar, fresh from winning her 50th cap against Canada, continues in the second row alongside Emma Wassell.
The backline is unchanged for the fourth consecutive match of the tournament. Francesca McGhie and Rhona Lloyd start on the wings, having scored nine tries between them in the pool stage. Leia Brebner-Holden and Helen Nelson maintain their half-back partnership, with Nelson just 11 points shy of reaching 250 for her country. Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr continue in midfield, with Chloe Rollie at full-back.
On the bench Easson sticks with a 6:2 split of forwards and backs. Elis Martin, Molly Wright and Molly Poolman provide front-row cover, supported by Eva Donaldson, Rachel McLachlan and Alex Stewart in the forwards. The backs replacements are Caity Mattinson and Evie Wills.
England go into the quarter-finals as overwhelming favourites. They topped their pool with resounding wins, most recently beating Australia 47-7 to close out the group stage in dominant fashion. Scotland have not beaten England since the 1990s and recent encounters have been one-sided, with England’s average margin of victory around fifty points.
In this year’s Six Nations England defeated Scotland 59-7, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Easson’s side in Exeter.
Scotland: Chloe Rollie, Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Francesca McGhie, Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Christine Belisle, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Evie Gallagher, Jade Konkel.
Replacements: Elis Martin, Molly Wright, Molly Poolman, Eva Donaldson, Rachel McLachlan, Alex Stewart, Caity Mattinson, Evie Wills.