Bonar won’t forget first-cap nightmare but treat it as a lesson learned

When your first start in a Test match ends in a 64-0 defeat, you could be forgiven for wanting to forget all about it.

But, as she prepares to face up to England again in tonight’s Six Nations match at Scotstoun, Sarah Bonar has no intention of forgetting that game last year.

Having only taken up rugby four years ago after being a very promising rower, the 23-year-old from Aberdeen has already climbed a fair way up a very steep learning curve. As a relatively late starter, she believes she has to take as much as possible out of every game, including that crushing loss in 2017 against opponents who are very firm favourites to win again tonight.

“That was a very tough game, but all tough games have a lot of learning points as well,” she said. “It was a first exposure for me on the international stage, and since then I’ve played in a lot of Premiership games for Loughborough Lightning, and that has developed me as a player and equipped me better for this game.”

A lock at Loughborough, Bonar has been used in the back row by Scotland coach Shade Munro and will play there tonight with Jade Konkel and Rachel Malcolm as the team seek a first win in this year’s Six Nations. She added: “I think my attributes in terms of ball-carrying and determination lend themselves to the back row,” she added. “I’m happy to get a shirt anywhere in the forward pack.”