Two Heriot’s Blues Women named in Scotland team

Two Heriot’s Blues Women players, Megan Gaffney and Annabel Sergeant, have been named in the Scotland team to play France at Scotstoun Stadium on Sunday.

The fixture is one of three 2020 Women’s Six Nations matches for Scotland postponed earlier in the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The backline duo was named in the Scotland training squad on Monday before being selected in the official team sheet on Friday.  

Both know from previous experience that France are tough competitors on the pitch.

‘‘I actually got my first cap against France back in 2011 and I remember going on at 12 and having their physical back row running at me! I’m just excited to be back out there playing again,’’ Annabel said.

‘‘They’re big strong girls and you never quite know what you’re going to get,’’ Megan agreed.

‘‘We always play well against them at home. Every country’s preparation will have been disrupted so it’ll be interesting to see what they bring.’’

With the Women’s Six Nations matches postponed in February it has meant months of individual training for Megan, Annabel and the wider training squad, until more recently.

‘‘Preparation has been different but it’s been the same for everyone. I don’t miss the solo pitch runs. We’ve been really lucky that Scottish Rugby have created a really safe environment to allow us to train. We’ve had lots of protocols but we’ve been able to put the work in,’’ Megan said.

‘‘Constantly having to wear masks for training and keeping our distance has been challenging. Also, in our own time, we have had to be super vigilant about what we do as one slip up could cause knock on effects to the rest of the team,’’ Annabel said.

Having earned her Women’s Six Nations debut against England in 2013, after her first cap for Scotland against the Netherlands in 2011, Megan believes she appreciates the opportunities playing for Scotland more now.

‘‘I felt like I was in good form when everything got cancelled so I can’t wait to get going again. I took some time away from the Scotland set up in 2017/18 and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get the chance to play for my country again so every game is a really special moment,’’ she said.

Similarly, Annabel always sees her involvement in the Scotland squad as an ‘‘incredible opportunity’’.

‘‘With every opportunity, I feel more privileged to be selected as the standard within the team is definitely increasing and there is much more competition for spots,’’ she said.

Watch the 2020 Women’s Six Nations Scotland V France game on BBC Sport and BBC ALBA on Sunday from 2.10pm.

The post Two Heriot’s Blues Women named in Scotland team appeared first on Heriots Rugby Club.