Borderer’s try helps Scots win rugby’s WXV 2 trophy

Lana Skeldon playing in Scotland's WXV 2 match against USA at Cape Town's Athlone Stadium in South Africa last Friday (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Skeldon scored at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium just past the hour mark, with Emma Orr twice, Coreen Grant and Sarah Bonar also touching down and Helen Nelson adding two conversions and Meryl Smith one.

Head coach Bryan Easson’s Scots were also awarded a penalty try.

Hooker Skeldon, replaced six minutes from the end by Elis Martin, was one of three Borderers in Easson’s starting XV, along with Jedburgh’s Chloe Rollie and Hawick’s Lisa Thomson.

All three had begun Scotland’s two prior fixtures of the tournament too.

Rollie was among the Scots’ try-scorers the Friday before during a 24-14 victory against the USA at Athlone Stadium.

That followed a 31-17 win versus South Africa the Friday prior to that, with Skeldon and Thomson touching down that time round, the former at the double.

Full-back Rollie, 28, is now on 61 caps, with Skeldon, 29, on 66 and inside centre Thomson, 26, on 55. Rollie has scored 19 tries for her country and Thomson eight.

Scotland’s bonus-point victory over Japan left them on 15 points on top of the WXV 2 standings with a points difference of plus-55.

Italy could have overtaken them a day later against the USA had they notched up a bonus-point win by 25 points or more but that game finished 30-8, handing the title to Scotland.

Reflecting on the tournament, ex-Jedburgh Grammar School pupil Rollie said: “This is a special time to be involved in Scottish women’s rugby, 100%.

“It is huge for us and hopefully it’ll leave a legacy behind and allow younger girls and boys to look up to us and make them want to play rugby the way we do.

“The culture within the squad has grown so much since I came into things in 2015. We have built and built and built, and the way we have bounced back shows the character we have.”

Easson, 50, agrees, saying: “This success will inspire more females to get into the sport and be a part of it, and captain Rachel Malcolm and the rest of the players really are excellent role models.

“These players inspire youngsters and women’s and girls’ rugby is growing so much in Scotland.

“I think this is the time to move the national team forward too.

“You want to push forward when you’re on the crest of a wave, and I think we are there now.”