SCOTS ARE IN A UNITED STATE
Spirited display backs up support for coach Easson
THE Scotland women’s team may have lost their World Cup warm-up to the USA, but the way they played backed up their pledge to give their all for head coach Bryan Easson.
Scotland are ranked tenth in the world — five places behind the USA — but ran them close in a pulsating encounter played at a frantic pace.
Easson, who has received the public support of his players, has denied the allegations levelled at him by the parents of former Scotland international Siobhan Cattigan, who died last year.
The Scottish squad said on Friday they were not only behind Easson, but also felt ‘fully supportive’ of the national medical team, who had also been singled out for criticism by the Cattigan family in the aftermath of the tragic death of their daughter Siobhan at the age of 26.
Star performers yesterday included full-back Chloe Rollie on her 50th appearance for her country, fly-half Helen Nelson and winger Rhona Lloyd, who scored the try of the match.
‘I couldn’t have asked for more from them,’ said Easson. ‘Especially considering that is their first game in four months after a tough pre-season building up to the World Cup. I thought the performance was excellent. There were some real positives but some things to work on as well. To be in the game up until the last play against a top five side in the world is testament to the spirit in this group.’
The Scotland head coach praised his players for the way they focused on the game after the Cattigan family issued a statement on the eve of the game alleging the SRU was trying to ‘erase our daughter from history’.
Easson said: ‘We worked really hard as a group to put the noise away and concentrate on our goal, which is going to the World Cup. This was going to be a difficult test and we worked hard on our setpiece, our attack and defensive shape and I am confident we are going in the right direction.
‘It was not about peaking now. We were using this game against the USA as a stepping stone until our opening World Cup fixture against Wales on the October 9. I am pleased how we are progressing but we are still rusty but we can go into the Spain game in a fortnight and fix that.’
In what was a compelling encounter, the USA had the best of the early opening exchanges until Scotland found their feet. A long kick upfield from Nelson put them in the opposition 22 for the first time which led to some composed phased attacking play from the home side.
Scotland were rewarded for their early superiority after just six minutes when they took the lead. The forwards did all the hard work before hooker Lana Skeldon went over for a try. Nelson put over the conversion.
The USA did hit back with a penalty from full-back Alev Kelter five minutes later as they came back into the game. Then they took the lead on the 15th minute when prop Hope Rogers went over after some poor Scotland tackling.
It was going to take a bit of magic to bring Easson’s side back into the game and it came from winger Lloyd. She got the ball out wide and broke through two USA tackles before diving over for a superb individual try. Nelson put over the conversion from near the touchline.
Fly-half Gabby Cantorna put another three points on the board for the visitors as they started to gain the upperhand. Scotland centre Lisa Thomson did well to hold up USA winger Jennine Detiveaux over the line but the home defence was breached just before the break.
USA captain Kate Zackary broke through two dreadful attempted tackles to go over in the corner. A Nelson penalty with the last kick of the half gave the home side a one point half-time lead.
The second half started at a pulsating pace with Zackary running from near her own line deep into the Scotland half. From recycled ball, Hallie Taufoou had the easiest of opportunities to run under the posts to score. As her team-mates celebrated she lost concentration and dropped the ball.
Scotland couldn’t believe their luck and buoyed by their let-off started to attack out wide. Scotland thought they had scored through Nelson who had run a good line but she was held up over the line.
Scotland changed their half-back pairing of Nelson and Cathy Mattinson just 55 minutes into the second half with Mairi McDonald and Meryl Smith taking their place. Before the home side had time to settle the USA went ahead. Their forwards did all the hard work and when they got a penalty prop Rogers showed clever thinking by taking a quick tap from ten metres out to crash over.
It looked like the USA were about to increase their lead but a superb tackle from Rollie stopped winger Lotte Clapp going in at the corner. The fitness of both sides was exemplary with the game in the balance till the end. Scotland finished the stronger but the USA held on.