Changes and challenges for Scotland Women in final encounter

Changes and challenges for Scotland Women in final encounter

There are changes across the starting XV for Scotland Women as they relish the challenge of their final game in the FIRA WRWC 2014 qualifier in Madrid (kick-off 1.30pm local, 12.30pm BST) against their Swedish counterparts.After securing a bonus point win (29-7) in? Saturday’s (20 April) opening game against the? Netherlands, they went down to Italy (27-3) on Tuesday, meaning they are now one of four teams who could secure the two places at stake for next year’s Rugby World Cup in France (the others are Italy, Spain and Samoa).Equally comfortable at full back, wing or centre, Annabel Sergeant takes the 15 shirt for this game, with Lyndsay O’Donnell starting on the left wing, replacing the injured Sarah Dixon. Gillian Inglis moves from outside to inside centre and Lisa Martin [right], moves to outside centre after coming off the bench against Italy at stand-off and teenager Sarah Law starts at scrum half.In the forwards, lock Samantha Beal makes her first start while the back row combo is shuffled to put captain Susie Brown at blindside and Lindsay Wheeler at no 8, from lock.Head coach Karen Findlay said: The sole focus for us going into this game is to put together a good match performanceWe’ve made a few changes to enable us to play the kind of game that we hope will produce not only a win but playing a style of rugby that the team can be proud of. We’ve put together a new fast and dangerous combination in the back row that we want to see involved in the game off a new and exciting centrefield partnership.There are a number of permutations that could happen on the day but we’re not concerning ourselves with that. Our sole focus is going to be on our performance.See the ongoing series of player video profiles on their biography pages of the Scottish Rugby web site and catch up on the team’s involvement in yesterday’s junior rugby festival.The match will be streamed live and Scottish Rugby will be providing updates on Twitter.?Scotland Women team v Sweden Women, kick-off 1.30pm (local, 12.30pm BST), Central University Stadium, Madrid15 Annabel Sergeant (Richmond)?14 Lyndsay O’Donnell (Worcester)?13 Gillian Inglis (Melrose)?12 Lisa Martin (Murrayfield Wanderers) 11 Megan Gaffney (Hillhead Jordanhill) 10 Tanya Griffith (RHC Cougars)9 Sarah Law (Murrayfield Wanderers)1 Heather Lockhart (Hillhead Jordanhill) 2 Lindsey Smith (Hillhead Jordanhill)3 Tracy Balmer (Worcester)4  Samantha Beale (Hillhead Jordanhill) 5  Becca Parker (Hillhead Jordanhill) 6  Susie Brown (Richmond) (c) 7  Tess Forsberg (Richmond) 8  Lindsay Wheeler (Richmond) Substitutes16 Suzy McKerlie-Hex (Murrayfield Wanderers)?17 Sarah Quick (Murrayfield Wanderers) 18 Beth Dickens (Murrayfield Wanderers)?19 Bridget Millar-Mills (Worcester)?20 Jade Konkel (Hillhead Jordanhill)?21 Nikki McLeod (Morgan)?22 Louise Dalgliesh (RHC Cougars)?23 Katy Green (Darlington Mowden Park)Rugby World Cup 2014Twelve teams will take part in Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 in Paris. There are six automatic qualifiers: reigning world champions New Zealand, 2010 runners up England, 2010 bronze medallists Australia, 2014 hosts France plus USA and Canada by virtue of their top six placing at WRWC 2010.Ireland and Wales, as the two highest placed teams on aggregate from the 2012 and 2013 6 Nations (outside of automatic qualifiers England and France), have also secured their places. The top two teams will qualify from the Madrid tournament with the two remaining sides coming from yet to be determined Africa and Asia qualifiers.

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