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3 min: The scrum doesn’t get going and it collapses, giving Scotland a free-kick. They’ll tap and go from right in front….
1 min: From the kick-off, Sing’s clearing kick doesn’t go long so Scotland can launch off the line-out. They make great ground off first-phase strike play and Coubrough is away. But they soon knock on five metres short of England’s line as they looked to gather through the phases. Promising, but that’s a sloppy miss from the Scots and a wasted opportunity to land an early blow.
Kick off!
Really looking forward to seeing how Short, on debut at 6, gets on.
Murrayfield is bathed in beautiful sunshine. The crowd is buzzing. All the ingredients there. Can the players deliver?
And they’re off!
Maud Muir leads the teams out on the occasion of her 50th cap.
She is beaming the BIGGEST smile you will ever see. What a vibe!
England’s defence coach, Sarah Hunter, speaks on the long, long, list of absentees from the side:
It’s quite unheard of within an England squad over the years. As a coaching squad, we’re taking it in our stride.
It gives an opportunity to someone else and the great thing about our squad is that whoever comes in is welcomed and fits in.
If we think about it in a four-year cycle [between World Cups], it’s almost good that we’re having this situation now, that we can grow and develop some of the younger players coming through who might be there in four years’ time.
It might be accelerating them a little bit, but all of the players who have come in have been playing brilliantly for their clubs in PWR. They’ve been a credit to this group and it’s exciting that they get the opportunity.
There are 24 Scottish players in the wider 38-woman group who ply their trade in England’s PWR.
I don’t think that will count for much, but it does show that coaches in the best league in the world rate them.
Another Women’s Six Nations game, another record crowd.
This is the first time more than 30,000 tickets have been sold for a Scotland home game.
How about some stats I’ve dug up (pulled straight from Scottish Rugby’s own website):
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England (57%) and Scotland (55%) had the highest territory rates of any sides in Round One of this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
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Scotland had the highest ruck success rate of any side in last weekend’s fixtures (97.8%), while England’s average attacking ruck speed of 2.56 seconds was the quickest of any team last time out.
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Scotland (5/5) and England (8/8) were two of three sides not to lose a single scrum on their own put-in during the opening round of this year’s Championship (also France, 3/3).
Sarah Rendell – our eyes and ears on the ground today – has written a couple of banging pieces focussing on Scotland.
The first is a report from inside the Scottish camp as a contract dispute continues to bubble in the background:
The next is a preview looking ahead to this ‘landmark’ game:
England team
A trio of injured players – scrum-half Natasha Hunt, lock Morwenna Talling and back-rower Alex Matthews – who copped blows against Ireland, are unavailable.
Lucky for John Mitchell, his team is stacked with immense depth in every position.
Lucy Packer starts at 9 with a shuffle in the back row. Demelza Short makes her Red Roses debut in the 6 jersey with the aggressive Maddi Feaunati slotting in at the back of the pack.
Ellie Kildunne – who wasn’t quite at the races last week – shifts to wing as the impressive Emma Sing gets a shot at fullback.
Helena Rowland will play the creator at second receiver as the metronome that is Zoe Harrison will run things at 10.
England: Emma Sing; Jess Breach, Megan Jones (c), Helena Rowland, Ellie Kildunne; Zoe Harrison, Lucy Packer; Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Maud Muir, Abi Burton, Lilli Ives Campion, Demelza Short, Sadia Kabeya, Maddie Feaunati.
Replacements: Connie Powell, Mackenzie Carson, Sarah Bern, Haineala Lutui, Marlie Packer, Flo Robinson, Holly Aitchison, Mia Venner.
Scotland team
Just one change to the team that did the business against Wales.
Evi Willis moves into midfield, replacing Emma Orr at outside centre.
The pack remains the same while Francesca McGhie and Rachel McLachlan occupy the bench having missed out on the match-day 23 last week.
Scotland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Evie Willis, Meryl Smith, Shona Campbell; Helen Nelson, Leia Brebner-Holden; Leah Bartlett, Lana Skeldon, Elliann Clarke, Emma Wassell, Hollie Cunningham, Rachel Maclolm (c), Alex Stewart. Emily Coubrough.
Replacements: Elis Martin, Demi Swann, Molly Poolman, Holland Bogan, Rachel McLachlan, Rianna Darroch, Lucia Scott, Francesca McGhie.
Preamble
Hi everyone! Welcome to the second round of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations.
England have travelled north of the border in search of a 25th consecutive win over Scotland in the competition. And you wouldn’t bet against them, would you?
Scotland, though, will believe in miracles after they snatched a dramatic victory over Wales last week. Sure, this is a whole different kettle of fish. But momentum can play out in interesting ways in sport and, well, you never know. Right?
Oval Insights – a supercomputer of sorts, for those in the back – has predicted an English win by 35 points and give the visitors a 95% chance of leaving with all the marbles.
I guess it’s a question of how many today. But still plenty to play for as the improving Scots could show what they’re about with a performance to be proud of.
We’ll find out how they get on when things kick off at 1:30pm
Teams and other updates to come.
