Sione Fukofuka has announced the names of 50 players to start a week-long training session at Oriam, Edinburgh.
They are:
Forwards
LEAH BARTLETT, GEMMA BELL, *HOLLAND BOGAN, BECKY BOYD, ELLIANN CLARKE, *EMILY COUBROUGH, HOLLIE CUNNINGHAM, EVA DONALDSON, ADELLE FERRIE, *POPPY FLETCHER, EVIE GALLAGHER, *MEGAN HYLAND, *NATASHA LOGAN, RACHEL MALCOLM, ELIS MARTIN, RACHEL McLACHLAN, FI McINTOSH, MOLLY POOLMAN, *AILA RONALD, LANA SKELDON, *IMOGEN SPENCE, ALEX STEWART, *FAYE SUTHERLAND, *TALEI TAWAKE, *GEMMA THOMSON, EMMA WASSELL, ANNE YOUNG (27)
Backs
*CEITIDH AINSWORTH, *CIERON BELL, SHONA CAMPBELL, *RIANNA DARROCH, *NICOLE FLYNN, EMILY LOVE, RHONA LLOYD, *HOLLY McINTYRE, *POPPY MELLANBY, EMMA ORR, RACHEL PHILIPPS, *SKY PHIMISTER, HANNAH RAMSAY, CHLOE ROLLIE, LUCIA SCOTT, MERYL SMITH, * HANNAH SMYTH, *HANNAH WALKER, EVIE WILLS (23)
*uncapped
To them we must add the names of Sarah Bonar, Leia Brebner-Holden, Fran McGhie and Lisa Thomson, who are rehabilitating. In view of what follows you can judge how important their recovery will be.
Among the most noteworthy features are no fewer than 22 uncapped players – nearly half the total. Of them 14 play for Glasgow Warriors and 12 for Edinburgh Rugby.
That in turn places a great weight on the Celtic Challenge to prove its standing. I fear this balance points to weakness, not strength in the current Scottish rugby system.
For years the elite game has been reduced to the two big cities. Clubs up and down the country, like Stirling County, do their bit to improve standards, but the general effect is for ambitious players to gravitate to the capital or the largest city.
Beyond that, Scots emigrate to England (21 in this list) or France (3). And all too often this translates to membership of a club in the lower reaches of the league, without guaranteeing a starting place.
The optimistic view
On the brighter side, Bryan Easson achieved great things during his term in charge. Scotland rose to an all-time high of fifth in world rankings; they won WXV2 two years running; they reached an RWC quarter-final for the first time in two decades and got used to the idea of winning regularly.
But in last year’s 6N they lost to Italy after beating both Ireland and Wales. That left them in fifth place.
New Faces
Now they have two new men in charge, Sione Fukofuka and his recently appointed assistant, Ioan Cunningham. They will bring a fresh approach and enthusiasm to the cause.
The Schedule
This is how their 6N fixture-list looks:
R1 v Wales AWAY
R2 v England HOME (Murrayfield)
R3 v Italy AWAY
R4 v France HOME
R5 v Ireland AWAY
That’s a tough ride, but no 6N programme is easy. Only two home games this year, and they are against the top dogs.
Their game at the national stadium will be their first to be scheduled there. Credit to the SRU for that choice. But memories of THAT rearranged England game there in 2020, played in a snowstorm!
As with all three Celtic nations we can only hope that all the first-choice players are in good working order when April comes.
