Scotland Women head coach Karen Findlay insists her side have come a long way but admits they face a titanic challenge as they kick off their RBS 6 Nations against reigning Grand Slam champions England.
The Scots didn’t pick up a win in last year’s Championship but impressed in a 33-10 win over the Netherlands in November.
And prop Tracy Palmer, who captained Scotland in the victory over Holland, will lead the team again at Lasswade on Febuary 5th.
The Scots travel to Ireland the week after before with another home tie against France, another side who impressed in the autumn, and Findlay admits they couldn’t have faced a tougher start.
“I’m really excited about playing England then France at home – they’re both massive challenges, and I’m particularly looking forward to kicking the tournament off against England,” she said.
“I’d like to think the hard work we’ve put in – in terms of coaching and player effort – since the last Six Nations will have paid off.
“We did a lot of soul searching and have worked hard to improve our core skills and basic preparation.”
Much of the hard work has been focused on regular Friday night Scotland Series training games.
The games have seen new players come through and forced existing team members to raise the bar to put their hands up for selection.
And this has helped Findlay pick a side balanced with youth and experience, which sees scrum-half Louise Dalgliesh win her 50th cap and winger Sarah Dixon claim her second.
Findlay added: “The squad has changed and now it’s all about putting everything we’ve worked on into practice, on the day.”
