Scotland v Australia in WXV Global Series: level playing field but Wallaroos won't be underestimated

Dave Butcher’s team have gone down heavily to Canada and New Zealand over the past fortnight, conceding 10 tries in each game in Edinburgh. This weekend, the eighth-ranked Scots take on the ninth-ranked Wallaroos at Hive Stadium in what appears to be a more even match-up.

Butcher, Scotland’s interim head coach, said there was plenty of confidence within the squad despite recent results but also cautioned against treating Australia any differently to either Canada or New Zealand.

“I think if you look at progression from game one [Canada] to game two [New Zealand] and the pieces that we wanted to get after, we definitely saw some performance in those areas, especially I thought in the contact area,” said Butcher. “We know that's an area that is going to allow us to glue our game together.

“We were under no illusion what those two games would give us and I would have much rather played those two games than a team that we maybe found it easy against, that wouldn't stress test as much and maybe we wouldn't have been able to accelerate our growth as quick.

Confidence

“So I think we are confident in what we're going to do. We recognise that Australia are a good team, so there's no looking at Australia any less than we would have at Canada and New Zealand. It's the exact same approach.”

Butcher has made four changes to the team that went down 66-14 to the Black Ferns, with Hannah Ramsay, Sarah Bonar, Evie Wills and Rachel McLachlan all coming into the starting side.

Ramsay, usually a stand-off, is selected at full-back in place of Chloe Rollie who drops to the bench. Wills returns from injury and comes in at outside centre for Rachel Philipps who is recovering from concussion. In the pack, Bonar is picked in the second row to replace the injured Emma Wassell and fit-again Rachel McLachlan is selected at openside flanker, with Eva Donaldson benched.

Scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden is among the replacements after overcoming injury.

It will be a landmark occasion for hooker Lana Skeldon who will make her 90th appearance and become the second-most capped Scotland Women player of all time behind Donna Kennedy.

Scotland v Australia line-ups

Scotland Women (v Australia, WXV Global Series, Hive Stadium, Saturday, 4.10pm):

Scotland: 15. Hannah Ramsay; 14. Rhona Lloyd, 13. Evie Wills, 12. Meryl Smith, 11. Shona Campbell; 10. Helen Nelson, 9. Ceitidh Ainsworth; 1. Anne Young, 2. Lana Skeldon, 3. Elliann Clarke, 4. Holland Bogan, 5. Sarah Bonar, 6. Rachel Malcolm (capt), 7. Rachel McLachlan, 8. Evie Gallagher. Replacements: 16. Aicha Sutcliffe, 17. Leah Bartlett, 18. Molly Poolman, 19. Hollie Cunningham, 20. Eva Donaldson, 21. Leia Brebner-Holden, 22. Katie Buchanan, 23. Chloe Rollie.

Australia: 15. Caitlyn Halse; 14. Amelia Whitaker, 13. Georgina Friedrichs, 12. Faitala Moleka, 11. Desiree Miller; 10. Waiaria Ellis, 9. Samantha Wood; 1. Brianna Hoy, 2. Brittany Merlo, 3. Faliki Pohiva, 4. Kaitlan Leaney, 5. Michaela Leonard, 6. Pia Tapsell, 7. Piper Duck, 8. Siokapesi Palu Sekona (capt). Replacements: 16. Tania Naden, 17. Martha Fua, 18. Bridie O’Gorman, 19. Jemma Bemrose, 20. Emily Chancellor, 21. Lily Bone, 22. Tia Hinds, 23. Ava Wereta.