SNS GroupThe future of the Scotland women’s rugby team is bright according to flanker Rachel McLachlan, after the latest two promising young Scots made their debuts.
Scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden, 22, and Lucia Scott, a 20-year-old backline player, earned their first full caps with substitute appearances in the 40-14 demolition of Wales at The Hive Stadium on Friday night.
Both will travel to South Africa for Scotland WXV2 title defence later in the month, while centre Rachel Philipps and hooker Aila Ronald hope to earn their first caps in the final warm-up game at home to Fiji this Saturday.
McLachlan, 25, said the new generation of player coming through to represent Scotland is raising the bar for the national squad.
The Montpellier back row said: “The girls were absolutely immense. I can’t compliment Lucia and Leia enough, I thought they were absolutely fantastic.
“As a team we are building that depth as well. It is amazing to see people so young come in to this squad and be able to just come on and perform straight away.
“It is a testament to this squad and to the development we have going.”
SNS GroupThe six try show from the Scots at home to Six Nations rivals Wales was a result of over a month of hard work in pre-season camp at their Oriam training base, according to McLachlan, who hopes to win her 44th cap against Fiji.
She said: “We are trusting in our process – we have been building our attack and we showed what we want to do in getting those tries scored.
“There is a lot of confidence to gain from that attack and we pride ourselves on defence as well.
“Our ‘North Star’ is the World Cup next year and WXV2 [later this month] so we are building towards both of those competitions.
“It was a really good start last week [against Wales] and we are hoping for another good go this weekend [against Fiji].”
Attack coach Matt Banahan said that sporting opportunities being widened for girls is crucial to accelerating the best players into the international set-up.
The former England men’s international player said: “Sport in general now, women and girls are able to start it younger so that they are now playing for eight-to-ten years rather than in years gone by when people were going to university and starting it there.
“That’s a good five or six years of growth in skillset and gym lifting.
“These young women now are coming into it way more ready to play.
SNS Group“Look at players like Alex Stewart, Leia Brebner-Holden and Lucia Scott, they are coming out at 18, 19, 20-years-old and they have the physical ability to play at international level.”
The 37-year-old, who played for Bath for 12 years, earning 16 caps for England, is enjoying the transition to coaching and feels the excitement building with the Women’s Rugby World Cup less than a year away.
Banahan said: “It is nuts, absolutely crazy; to leave my wife and daughters at home and have another thirty-plus ‘wives’ here to tell me what I’m doing wrong, what I’m doing right.
“It is an amazing atmosphere in the group and the feeling of how there is a pathway towards being in the best position going in to the World Cup.
“The 14 month journey is a journey where there will be ups and downs but we all know we are in it together.”
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