Latest news with #ScotlandRugby
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Everything was about getting back in a Scotland shirt'
Emma Wassell says she was "really proud" to represent Scotland again after she completed her test return for the first time since having a benign tumour removed. The 30-year-old described her return to national team action as a "whirlwind journey", adding that everything in her 15-month recovery was focused on pulling on a Scotland shirt once again. Four hundred and fifty-four days after her last appearance, the 67-time capped second row made her return in the side's 34-29 defeat to Italy. "I'm just incredibly grateful," she said. "People have supported me that I didn't even realise they were following the absolute crazy whirlwind journey that this has been. "I have kind of lived and breathed this team, playing for this country, ever since I stopped playing. "[Since] my last opportunity in the shirt, everything has kind of been about getting back in the shirt. "I am really proud to be able to represent Scotland again and represent the people who have kind of supported me through these last 15 months."
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Townsend rues indiscipline as Scotland suffer costly tour defeat against Fiji
GREGOR TOWNSEND admitted Scotland had been the creators of their own downfall as they slumped to a potentially costly 29-14 defeat to Fiji in Suva. The tourists scored early in each half through Kyle Rowe and Tom Jordan but beyond that were second-best for the rest of the contest as their hosts dominated. The Scottish cause wasn't helped by poor discipline that saw Ewan Ashman sent to the sin-bin in the first half and Darcy Graham dismissed midway through the second period for a second yellow card offence that also led to a penalty try being awarded. The loss could be an expensive one as Scotland failed to land the world rankings points they craved as they look to claim a top seeding berth ahead of the World Cup draw later this year. And Townsend, who has now lost in Fiji three times as a player and coach, conceded his team could have no complaints about the outcome. He said: 'I think Fiji deserved to win. They had a lot of opportunities to put us under pressure in our 22. They were physical and obviously they're a quality team - and they also showed that last week [against Australia]. 'But we're disappointed in our own performance and that we gave them so many opportunities to put pressure on us. The penalty count was too high [15 overall], with three yellow cards. That makes it very tough to win any Test match. Up against a quality side at home, it's going to be really difficult. 'That'll be the biggest area of improvement for us - making sure we don't let a team like Fiji and Samoa get chances in our 22 because we've given away a penalty for whatever reason.' Townsend, though, felt Graham had been harshly treated with his two yellow cards. The first was for making a tackle on Sireli Maqala before the Fijian had the ball in his possession, while the second was for intercepting a pass from an offside position. Townsend believes the winger won't be suspended for Friday's match against Samoa back in New Zealand, although a dislocated finger might rule Graham out regardless. He added: 'I'd have to look at it again but at the time I thought they [the yellow cards] were very harsh. I'm not sure if the first one was going to hand anyway. But the referee makes his calls, and as soon as he's made the call in that area, you know it's going to be a yellow card, a potential penalty try. 'I think the game is a compact game and players are body-to-body a lot in the game. I don't know how we can then make that one an incident that's a yellow card. 'But the referee has to make these calls. I don't want the focus to be on the referee. It's got to be how we can change things and make sure that our discipline, which has been really good in recent games, stays under 10 penalties and there's no yellow cards.' Scotland are also sweating on the fitness of Jamie Ritchie, who went off during the first half with a foot knock, and Matt Fagerson who suffered a cut eye and also injured the same ankle that kept him sidelined for the last few months of the season. Both will be assessed by the medical team in the coming days. Captain Rory Darge added: 'We were all looking forward to playing Fiji as it's a unique experience and it was the first time for a lot of us here. We knew the challenge we were going into as they are a quality side. I'm sure there will be a lot of things that come up in review that we could have done much better.'
Washington Post
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Darcy Graham red-carded as Fiji beats Scotland 29-14 on the 2nd match of its Pacific tour
SUVA, Fiji — Fiji conceded a try after two minutes but rallied to score four tries and beat 14-man Scotland 29-14 in a one-off test match on Saturday. Scotland was a man down from the 66th minute when winger Darcy Graham was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Graham was first sent to the sin-bin in the 35th minute for an early tackle.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Rory Darge eager to test himself against Fiji's ‘benchmark for physicality'
Scotland captain Rory Darge is relishing the prospect of flexing his muscles against the famed Fijian pack in the first Test of their Pacific islands tour in Suva on Saturday. The Glasgow flanker will lead the side outright for the first time as coach Gregor Townsend makes 14 changes to the line-up that began the tour with a gruelling win over the Maori All Blacks last week. The match is of critical importance to Scotland's hopes of nudging into the world's top six, which would guarantee them a much more favourable draw in the pool stages for the 2027 World Cup. Darge said: 'They (Fiji) are the benchmark for physicality, and we're on their patch in a place where not many if any of us have ever played rugby, so that's why it's exciting. 'You want to go up against the best and ultimately that's why everyone plays this game. It's a great shared experience playing rugby in a place where there are such different challenges.' Fiji pushed Australia close in a 21-18 defeat last Sunday and the Scotland squad are braced for a much tougher test than the comfortable win they secured against the same opponents at Murrayfield last November. And Darge insists that although it has been noted in the build-up, his side must cast aside any thoughts of the importance of the fixture to the longer-term picture. 'It (the world ranking) is something there's been a little bit of talk about, but you can't really look beyond Fiji because it is such a big challenge,' he said. 'It's an exciting one and we're definitely aware of what we need to produce.' Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke will make his debut in Suva having featured in the squad for this year's Six Nations campaign without seeing any action.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Fiji present 'strong challenge' for Scotland
Scotland expect a "strong challenge" from Fiji in Suva on Saturday, says scrum-coach Pieter de shipped eight tries in a 57-17 loss at Murrayfield eight months ago, but were far from full-strength, while this time several key Scottish players are on tour with the British & Irish opened their Pacific tour with a 29-26 victory over Maori All Blacks on Saturday, while Fiji ran Australia close in a 21-18 defeat on Sunday."Fiji are a good side currently and they probably have a stronger squad than when we played last time, just because they've got more players available to them," said De Villiers."We expect a strong challenge from them and that's what we're looking forward to."It will be important to match the physicality that they're currently bringing to opposition. I thought they did very well against Australia."Glasgow forward Gregor Brown will miss out after suffering a concussion on Saturday, while Edinburgh back-row Ben Muncaster is recovering from a dead leg.
