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Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final: England v Scotland

Venue: Ashton Gate, Bristol Date: Sunday, 14 September Kick-off: 16:00 BST

Although the sun shone down on Clifton College as Scotland went through their captain’s run, they have surely prepared for the storm clouds forecast for Sunday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

They won’t just be met by the world’s number one team, the hosts, the relentless England winning machine, but also a yellow warning for wind and potential downpours.

It might make for an atmospheric back drop, a Shakespearean setting to an all-or-nothing game in which Scotland play the part of defiant under-dog.

One day out from the game, the mood in camp was buoyant. The tunes boomed across a luscious playing field, silly group photos were snapped, and throngs of players chanted along to one specific song.

In the lead up and even during this tournament there have been numerous negative story lines surrounding this team.

Contract stalemates, uncertain futures, a departing head coach, players removed from cold storage. The mood music seemed muted from the outside.

Internally, the players – at the heart of a stand-off with the union – seem to have ignored the noise but the BBC’s Sara Orchard had another theory.

“I think the person who has said it best so far is actually the former England captain Katy Daley-McLean, when she just said what Scotland are putting out on the field right now, is not because of what’s going on behind, it’s in spite of it.

“What they are doing that with all that baggage, is stunning, absolutely stunning.”

Former Scotland captain and fly-half Lisa Martin agreed: “In a way, you’d kind of wish that they weren’t performing as well because of it, because you’re like, ‘oh, clearly, it’s absolutely fine’.

“It’s kind of camouflaging it, but’s great that they’re able to do this in spite of everything.”

The weather in the south west has, so far this week, been rotten and it doesn’t look set to change.

Although Ashton Lane is a little more sheltered than other venues, it will almost certainly have an effect on the game and perhaps lower the scoreline.

Given Scotland have usually been on the end of 50-point shellackings, one automatically assumes that will benefit them more than their hosts.

“The weather becomes a bit of an equaliser,” former England winger Ugo Monye told the Rugby Union weekly podcast. “It will be tight and niggly, and it might take the Red Roses slightly longer to break the spirit of Scotland.”

That’s where Scotland fly-half Helen Nelson comes in. Any Scotland attack will come through her, and her kicking game will have to be perfect.

“Nelson is a real trump card for them,” Orchard said. “As much as we have seen some sparkling rugby from their backs, if the weather plays out the way it looks like it will, they won’t be able to fire the way they have earlier in the tournament.

“Her kicking game at fly-half is going to be absolutely key for them. We saw that Australia were set up to make sure the ball kept on going behind the heads of the England back three.

“Nelson will be relishing that opportunity.”

“She’s such a wicked operator,” Monye agreed. “The question is whether she’ll be able to get the front foot ball to dictate play.

Just after the team was announced, which had former captain Jade Konkel returning to the starting XV, it was announced the number eight would be retiring at the end of the tournament, whenever that may be.

“You only do it to create this emotional groundswell, to let the players know,” Monye said. “The last voice in the changing room is going to be Jade saying ‘follow me, this is it’.

“When you are in knock-out rugby, that could be it. There’s no better demonstration than a player saying ‘this could be it for me’.

“‘Some of you will play in more World Cups, but for me this could be the last time I walk off the pitch with a Scotland jersey on my back’.

“You don’t need to say any more.”

Of course, the reality is Scotland need to have the perfect game, and England to have an off day. Any mistake will be punished, any attack must be clinical.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is a doubt for the Champions League game at Newcastle United – and his manager Hansi Flick has criticised Spain’s treatment of the 18-year-old.

Yamal played for his country in a 3-0 win in Bulgaria and 6-0 victory in Turkey during the recent international break.

The forward did not take part in Barcelona’s first-team training on Saturday because of a groin injury, and has been ruled out of Sunday’s league game against Valencia before the visit to Newcastle on Thursday.

“Lamine will not be available [against Valencia] – it’s a pity,” said Flick. “He played with the national team despite pain.

“He had problems, played 79 and 73 minutes, and didn’t even train between matches because of this pain. That is not really taking care of the players, is it? It is not.

“Spain, they have the best team in the world, best players in the world. In every position they are unbelievably good.

“So, maybe they will also want to take care of our players, our young players, but it’s like they are doing this [to them]. This is what I can say and I’m really sad about this.”

Flick, who was previously Germany manager, said he had contacted Spain coach Luis de la Fuente by text message but there was room for improvement in their communication.

“I was also on this side, as a national team coach. I know how hard sometimes the job is,” added Flick.

“I never spoke – I have had one conversation via text but I never spoke with him. My Spanish is not good, his English is not good, so maybe this is a problem.

Barcelona will host Valencia at their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff training ground as redevelopment work at the Nou Camp has not been completed.

The La Liga champions have been playing at Olympic Stadium in Montjuic for the past two seasons.

Barcelona have said they are “working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening” of the Nou Camp “in the coming weeks”, but a reopening date has not been confirmed.

“I spoke with the players, the captains, and they said it will not affect us,” said Flick.

“When we play at the new Camp Nou, 105,000 [capacity], maybe it’s a little bit different to playing at the Johan.

Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final: England v Scotland

Venue: Ashton Gate, Bristol Date: Sunday, 14 September Kick-off: 16:00 BST

John Mitchell’s pick as the player he could least afford to lose came as a bit of a surprise.

Speaking before the Red Roses’ Rugby World Cup warm-up against Spain, England’s head coach opted for Helena Rowland.

“Helena is probably the most valuable person on the team,” said Mitchell.

“She’s an outstanding rugby player. I’m always thinking where I can fit her.”

However, recently, Mitchell has only found space on the bench.

Rowland was a replacement for four out of five matches in the Women’s Six Nations earlier this year. She has started only one of England’s three matches so far at this Rugby World Cup.

With Ellie Kildunne, the reigning world player of the year, ruled out of Sunday’s quarter-final against Scotland, it is Rowland that Mitchell has turned to to fill in at full-back.

This is the curse of the skills Rowlands is blessed with.

A skilful, clever runner with an innate understanding of space and deft hands, she can apply herself to any position across the backline.

She has played for England in every position from 10 to 15, and has even been pencilled in as a fourth-choice scrum-half in case of emergencies.

That versatility makes her an ideal bench option, a superb stand-in wherever needed in the backline.

Once Kildunne suffered a concussion in the win over Australia – her head whiplashing back on to the turf in a tackle by Samantha Wood – Rowland was always in pole position to step up.

While Gloucester-Hartpury’s Emma Sing is a specialist full-back, she is only 12 caps into her Test career and yet to show the same consistency and composure as Rowland.

Both played in the win over Samoa in the second round of pool matches, with Sing at full-back and Rowland at fly-half.

But it was Rowland who caught the eye, scoring 27 points – a Women’s Rugby World Cup record for a player in a single match – landing 11 out of 14 conversions and crossing for a try.

That score was characteristically smart, slamming on the brakes and stepping out into the blind-side to cross as Samoa were retreating.

But her accuracy off the tee will have been reassuring for Mitchell, who has Holly Aitchinson in ahead of regular kicker Zoe Harrison at fly-half for the meeting with Scotland and Sing, England’s best place kicker, on the bench.

The loss of Kildunne undoubtedly robs England of star power, but it might not weaken them significantly on the pitch.

Kildunne’s backfield positioning was exposed by Australia last weekend, with the Wallaroos landing several 50-22 kicks, while the England backline has yet to hit its stride in attack.

It’s the way she likes to play.

A love of off-the-cuff attacking rugby was one of the reasons behind her move from Saracens to Loughborough Lightning in 2020.

Initially in her XV-a-side international career, Rowland was pitted against Harrison, who she grew up playing alongside at Welwyn RFC, in a battle to take on the fly-half role vacated by the retiring Katy Daley-Mclean.

Rowland played faster and looser and then-coach Simon Middleton ultimately opted for Harrison as the steadier hand.

That decision started Rowland’s tour of the backline positions.

She emerged as England’s first-choice full-back in the knockout stages of the last Women’s Rugby World Cup, only to suffer ankle ligament damage in the semi-final win over Canada.

The player who stepped in to fill her boots for the final?

One Ellie Kildunne.

The roles have flipped this time around and, with Kildunne needing a hitch-free recovery to be ready for the semi-finals, might not revert any time soon.