UNDERDOGS BID TO BITE

WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS

AFTER six bleak years in the Women’s Six Nations Championship, Scotland are at last ready to be competitive. There is no guarantee that they will win even a single match – something they last did in the tournament in 2010 – but recent signs suggest they will at least come close.

In their World Cup qualifier against Spain at the end of last year, for example, the Scots were close in both legs. That was despite being without their only professional, Jade Konkel, when facing opponents who had had 20 players training full-time in the build-up to the Olympics. Last week, with Konkel back from injury but several other key players rested, Scotland won 31-12 at Aylesford Bulls, one of the leading clubs in England.

“Building into the Six Nations, having played Wales [in a friendly], Spain twice, Lichfield earlier in the season then Aylesford Bulls too, it’s good preparation, especially having a good win and playing really well,” head coach Shade Munro said. “This time last year we didn’t have a huge amount of preparation going into the Six Nations, and it was a goal of ours to increase the number of fixtures we had.

“If you go back a year, we’ve come along a road to a degree, but we still have a bit to go. The players are considerably fitter than they were, but if you play against teams who have been preparing full-time for an Olympic Games, the difference last year was noticeable.

“After a series of plays the skills may drop off because the fitness levels don’t compare. Since those qualifiers we’ve stepped that up and they’ve got fitter again. But we still have a bit to go.”

Scotland are ranked 13th in the world, while Spain and the other Six Nations teams are all in the top 10, so Munro’s team will be the underdogs in every fixture during this campaign. But last year their closest games were against Italy – a 22-7 defeat in Bologna – and Wales – a 23-10 loss in Neath, and with both teams visiting Broadwood this year, a squad who are getting fitter all the time should have a good chance of claiming that elusive victory.

“Playing against England, France, Ireland is a particular level, but the other two are more on a par with where we