Scottish Rugby

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Franco Smith says teams will be gunning for his side this season after Glasgow Warriors reached the business end of both the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup last campaign.

Warriors topped the league in the URC regular season before losing to the Bulls at the semi-final stage, while in the Champions Cup they registered maximum points in the pool stage before going down to Toulon in the quarter-finals.

Glasgow kick off their URC campaign against Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday.

"There's no one easy game in this competition," said Smith.

"We are not oblivious of the fact that all teams would like to be at the top of the table attacking in the season.

"We've been there, and we will have a target on our back. I've got no doubt about that. We know what's coming, but for now, we focus on getting our process going.

"Focus on playing one minute at a time and make the most of our time in the competition."

With the summer departures of a host of key players including Huw Jones, Adam Hastings and Jack Dempsey, Glasgow will be relying on young talent coming through this season.

"I'm very excited about the young guys," Smith added.

"I think we've shown that by rewarding them with the contracts that they've received. But I just want to put everything in perspective.

"If the rugby programme functions and it works well, it does put a lot of pressure on the financial part of the thing and the budget. The maintenance is hard work.

"We've been doing well, and we're all super proud of it.

"We would like to see progression with this team, but part of it is also to bring the next generation through. Although our eye is not off what we need to do this season, I think five years is a generation change sometimes.

"We want to avoid a generation change by pre-empting a bit of continuity going forward."

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We asked our intrepid and knowledgeable rugby reporters, Tom English and Andy Burke, to give their predictions on how Glasgow and Edinburgh will fare in the new URC season, which kicks off on Friday.

Here is Tom's verdict...

GLASGOW

Glasgow are a serial top-four team now. We shouldn't take it for granted but the smart money will be on them finishing at the top end once again.

At their best they're a sensational watch, full of invention and class and youth, too. Franco Smith has done the most incredible job in bringing through young players and then trusting them in big games. There will come a time when the loss of stellar names will catch up with them but, for now, I don't see a huge drama in Huw Jones leaving - and I rate Jones as one of the best Scotland players of his generation. There's cover there. Jones didn't play a whole lot for Glasgow latterly, anyway.

Jack Dempsey is away as well, but Jamie Ritchie will fill that gap when he returns to fitness. Adam Hastings has exited, too, that's an area of concern. They're light at fly-half. Losing those knockout games in the URC and the Champions Cup last season might have left a scar. They'll be very good, but will they be good enough?

Predicted finish: Fourth. They'll want to be top or top-two again so as to get home advantage in the knockouts, but it's a hard thing to do. Glasgow played amazing stuff to finish the regular season top of the pile last time around but it's a stretch to predict them doing it again. Fourth is probably a conservative prediction given the strength of their squad, but that lack of depth at 10 concerns me somewhat. I predicted that they'd lose in the semi-final last season and I'd probably say the same again now. They'll be a thrill-fest along the way.

Player to watch: George Horne. Burkey's gone for Dan Lancaster and I can totally see why, he has to have a very big season. I'll go for George Horne instead. Horne is the embodiment of the mindset of this team, the guy who helps set the tempo, the one who helps make them tick. When Horne is not in the team, Glasgow are not the same. They don't attack with the same speed and verve, they don't look as deadly with ball in hand. He's fast becoming the most iconic player in the club's history. A wonderful sight when in full flow, which is most of the time.

Breakout star: Bayley Kuenzle. The new signing from the Western Force in Australia is on the bench for the opening night games against Munster, but he'll get plenty of starts during the season, especially as Test rugby is going to take its toll on Franco Smith's squad. Kuenzle is hugely versatile with big Super Rugby games under his belt with the numbers 11, 12,13 and 14 on his back. He looks a good signing. Not a mainstay when everybody is available, but a dynamic footballer who should make a significant contribution.

EDINBURGH

Every journalist is tired of criticising Edinburgh, but what else are we supposed to do? They're infuriating. Finishing 12th last season was just the latest in a long line of dismal URC performances.

Sean Everitt is fortunate to be still in place, but there's been a lot of changes underneath him with new coaches coming in. There's a modicum of hope that they'll bring new ideas and a change in fortunes.

Darcy Graham's injury is a blow and it gets the season off to a negative start when all they need right now is positivity. Their long injury list continues to be a problem. You can't trust Edinburgh to get anything going on a sustained basis. They might throw in some big performances but you wouldn't bet a single bob on them figuring at the top end of the league.

Predicted finish: 10th. To say that Edinburgh will make the top-eight would require a leap of faith that very few would be likely to make. There isn't any evidence that the squad is better this season than it was last season or that they are any more likely to deliver. It's galling, of course, because this is a club with decent resources that should be contending way higher up the table. They're still light at scrum-half, fly-half, inside centre and outside centre. The pack is fine, but there's not enough going on in that backline to make you want to believe in them.

Player to watch: Duhan van der Merwe. The wing is almost Edinburgh's plight in microcosm - a player who is capable of producing excellence but only does it on a fleeting basis. He's injured again - luck has not been on his side - but when he recovers, Van der Merwe needs to produce. It's unlikely that he'll be playing much Test rugby so Edinburgh should be his be-all and end-all for the foreseeable future. He needs to help spark this team into life with his running power and his finishing. Edinburgh need to get a whole lot more out of him than they've ever got before.

Breakout star: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty. The 22-year-old hooker played eight games last season, but only stated one. He has Ewan Ashman, Harri Morris and Patrick Harrison ahead of him but we should still see plenty of this talented player. Edinburgh's problems are in their forward pack. They have some depth there and Blyth-Lafferty is part of that depth. He's definitely one for the future and this season more than last he might be one for the present, too.

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We asked our intrepid and knowledgeable rugby reporters, Tom English and Andy Burke, to give their predictions on how Glasgow and Edinburgh will fare in the new URC season, which kicks off on Friday.

Here is Andy's verdict....

GLASGOW

It feels like we are having much the same conversation about Glasgow's prospects this season as we did heading into last season. With key players departing, was their squad deep enough to challenge on two fronts?

They answered that emphatically with brilliants runs in both the Champions Cup and the URC, but having worked so hard to lay the foundations of a truly special season, they fell short when it came to the crunch of both competitions.

Those home defeats to Toulon in the Champions Cup quarters and to the Bulls in the URC semis were bitter pills to swallow.

Will there be a hangover from the miss opportunity that was last season? Or did it merely whet the appetite to go even further this time around?

Predicted finish: Second. Having predicted Glasgow for a fifth-place finish in the URC regular season last time around and being made to look even more of a fool than normal as Warriors topped the log, I'm not going to make the same mistake in underestimating them. The departures of Huw Jones, Adam Hastings, Jack Dempsey, Johnny Matthews and others does, on paper at least, weaken the Glasgow squad, but they have tremendous faith in the wave of youngsters coming through. George Horne says it's the best crop of talent he has seen to emerge at the club in his time there. Under Franco Smith's astute management, I think Glasgow will be in the hunt again this season.

Player to watch: Dan Lancaster. I was tempted to go with Jamie Ritchie as I'm fascinated to see how the former Edinburgh captain adjusts to his new surroundings at Scotstoun. However, with news this week that he could be out until November as he recovers from an ankle/achilles problem, it could be some time before he gets a real run in a Warriors shirt, particularly if he is called into the Scotland squad for the Nations Championship. I think this needs to be a big season for Dan Lancaster – for his and Glasgow's sake. Hastings' exit has left Charlie Savala and young Matthew Urwin as the competition for the 10 jersey, so Lancaster needs to step up.

Breakout star: Fergus Watson. The 21-year-old wing made quite the impression on his Warriors debut against Benetton in March with a try and Player-of-the-Match performance. Watson is a big unit who takes some stopping and there are few better teams at getting the ball into the hands of their outside backs than Glasgow.

With Kyle Steyn, Kyle Rowe, Jamie Dobie and Ollie Smith all wingers by trade or more than comfortable playing there, the competition for spots is fierce. However, I expect Watson to get more opportunities to shine this season.

EDINBURGH

Oh how I long to be able to write and broadcast more positive coverage of Edinburgh this season!

It was a dismal campaign last time around, limping home in 12th place to miss out on the URC playoffs.

Many called for Sean Everitt to go, but the head coach has remained in post and instead Scottish Rugby has overhauled his backroom team. For Everitt's sake, it has to work.

The fans are utterly fed up living in the shadow of the team along the M8, and it is high time this Edinburgh team gave them cause for optimism.

Predicted finish: 10th. Much like my woeful forecasting of Glasgow's prospects last season, I called it completely wrong with Edinburgh (I should get out of this predicting game). I backed them to finish in sixth and they were way off that. I struggle to make a case for them doing much better this season, other than blind faith. The new coaches may make a difference, but I still feel there are too many gaps in quality throughout the team.

If Duhan van der Merve can rediscover his best stuff – and his hopes of World Cup selection could depend on it – and the new signings hit the ground running then there are potential match-winners in the team that could drive them forward.

Inconsistency has been a plague on Edinburgh for the longest time. Injuries has been another, with 17 first-team players - Darcy Graham among them - out for the start of the season. Edinburgh need more luck on that front, and more quality across the board.

Player to watch: Freddy Douglas. I tipped him as my Player to Watch last season, but I think it's time for Douglas to be properly unleashed.

The back-row has been spoken about for so long as one of the Scottish game's most exciting talents that it's easy to forget he is still only 21. If anything though, he was held back too long from the Edinburgh side, making his Scotland debut before making a single start for his club.

Douglas now needs to be a regular starter. Gregor Townsend has described him – even allowing for his lack of experience – as one of the best jacklers in the world. With a Rugby World Cup looming, Douglas needs to be given the platform to allow his immense talent to flourish.

Breakout star: Hector Patterson. Having signed his first professional contract earlier this year, the 21-year-old scrum-half started to force his way into the first team picture towards the end of last season.

New signing Louis Chapman is expected to be the first choice nine this season, but he will not arrive until after Canterbury's Bunnings NPC campaign comes to an end. With Ben Vellacott currently injured, Patterson could get some opportunities early in the season to stake his claim.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm believes 21-year-old Holland Bogan has the potential to develop into a world-class second row for the national team.

Despite a heavy defeat by New Zealand in the WXV Series last weekend, Bogan showed up well against the Black Ferns with some big carries and excellent work at the breakdown.

"She definitely has all the tools - she's a phenomenal athlete," Malcolm said of the young Glasgow Warriors lock who will earn her seventh cap against Australia on Saturday.

"When you look at her, she probably brings something a little bit different to our pack than what we have already and I think that's really exciting.

"She's a bit of a baller with the ball in hand, she's got really good skills, but she's equally very abrasive in how she carries and how she tackles and I think, for her, it's just about getting game time, which she's now getting at this level, which is going to be phenomenal for her development.

"I think she absolutely has the ability to go and be a world-class second-row and I think the way that she carries herself is a confidence well beyond her years - and that's both on and off the pitch.

"She's someone that comes in with a huge amount of energy and what you see is what you get, which is really good fun to be around. She's got a massive future ahead of her and she's just a ball of energy in there, so it's pretty cool."

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Scotland wing Jamie Dobie will make his 100th Glasgow Warriors appearance as last season's table-toppers begin their URC campaign away to Munster on Saturday.

The 25-year-old is one of 13 players who toured with Scotland during the summer to be selected in the 23-man matchday squad.

Dobie described it as "a special, special moment for myself" in Limerick.

"Hopefully some of my family will be out there," he said. "It's wild to think that I'll be able to reach 100 games for such a great club.

"Really excited and hopefully as a team we can start the season positively and mark an occasion like that."

Hooker Gregor Hiddleston will make his 50th club appearance, while academy scrum-half Callum Reidy and summer signing Bayley Kuenzle, the former Western Force back, could make their debuts off the bench.

Stafford McDowall captains the team from inside centre, while Ally Miller, who was skipper in last weekend's pre-season defeat by Bath, starts on the blindside flank.

However, Scotland internationals Zander Fagerson, Kyle Steyn and Rory Sutherland are among 12 players unavailable through injury.

Head coach Franco Smith, whose side lost in last season's semi-final play-offs, described Thomond Park as "one of the toughest venues in the competition to start our campaign".

Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay, Kyle Rowe, Ollie Smith, Stafford McDowall, Jamie Dobie; Dan Lancaster, George Horne; Patrick Schickerling, Gregor Hiddleston, Murphy Walker, Gregor Brown, Max Williamson, Ally Miller, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson.

Replacements: Seb Stephen, Nathan McBeth, Sam Talakai, Scott Cummings, Angus Fraser, Macenzzie Duncan, Callum Reidy, Bayley Kuenzle.

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Four new arrivals make their Edinburgh debut in the club's URC season opener away to Ulster on Friday night.

Loosehead prop Alec Hepburn, stand-off James Grayson, centre Kienan Higgins and winger Geordie Gwynn all start, while 19-year-old academy full-back Rory McHaffie could make his debut from the bench.

New co-captains Magnus Bradbury and Matt Currie lead the side in Belfast, with Darcy Graham - who will miss Scotland's autumn Tests - Harry Paterson, Mosese Tuipulotu and Ben Muncaster among 16 players missing through injury.

"Unfortunately, we've had a few injuries, but that's the nature of pre-season," said head coach Sean Everitt.

"Chatting to some of my fellow colleagues and coaches at other franchises, everyone's in the same boat.

"It's not great, but at the same time it's an opportunity for us to once again grow depth and use the experience that these youngsters gained in the latter part of the last competition."

Everitt's position has been under scrutiny after a failure to make the top eight last season. Asked if the play-offs were a minimum requirement this term, the South African said: "We always want to be in the play-offs. I wouldn't talk about the bare minimum.

"There's a lot of other things that we're doing at the club. But yes, we want to back in the play-offs."

Edinburgh: Piers O'Conor, Malelili Satala, Matt Currie, Kienan Higgins, Geordie Gwynn; James Grayson, Hector Patterson; Alec Hepburn, Harri Morris, Paul Hill, Callum Hunter-Hill, Glen Young, Liam McConnell, Freddy Douglas, Magnus Bradbury.

Replacements: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, James Whitcombe, D'arcy Rae, Euan McVie, Tom Currie, Conor McAlpine, Cammy Scott, Rory McHaffie.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Gregor Brown admits Glasgow Warriors aren't fully over their heartbreaking end to last season.

After topping the URC table in the regular season, Franco Smith's side squandered an 18-point lead to lose 22-21 at home to South Africa's Bulls in the semi-finals.

That mirrored a Champions Cup campaign in which they topped their group and enjoyed marquee wins over Saracens, Toulouse and Clermont before being stunned by Toulon at Scotstoun in the quarter-finals.

"It's kind of the cruel part of sport," said Glasgow and Scotland lock Brown.

"You put in so much work and there were so many great performances. When it does come down to the end, it just comes down to a play-off game. If they don't go your way, then it's sort of all that hard work - not out the window - but that's your run done."

Brown is keen to park last term's disappointment as he approaches the new campaign - Glasgow get under way on Saturday at Munster - with "excitement and energy".

"I don't think boys are probably fully over it," said. "I think that will actually only really come after the first couple of games when you can right a few wrongs in a Glasgow jersey.

"I think a lot of people probably felt they got that from some of the Test games in the summer. But ultimately, it does come down to doing it in a Glasgow jersey.

"We didn't come up with the goods at the end of the season. But If you go in all negative, thinking about what happened at the end, then it's not going to do anybody good."

Brown, who won the title with Glasgow in 20024 and become a British and Irish Lions international last summer, now finds himself a mentor to recent academy graduates.

The 25-year-old said: "I'm sort of middle-aged now for a rugby player which is kind of scary. But it's great seeing so many academy boys come through.

"I'm probably not the loudest in the squad. But I feel like I've got a good eye for detail and helping young lads."

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Scotland internationals Magnus Bradbury and Matt Currie will be Edinburgh's co-captains this season.

Back-row Bradbury, 31 returned to Edinburgh in 2024 after a two-year spell at Bristol Bears and skippered the club last season, a role he will now share with centre Currie, 25.

Sean Everitt's Edinburgh open their URC campaign away to Ulster on Friday (19:45 BST).

"Leading this club last season is right up there with the proudest moments of my career and I'm delighted to continue in the role alongside Matt," said Bradbury.

"Edinburgh is home for me. I grew up wanting to play for this club and I take a huge amount of pride in pulling on the jersey every week. That feeling never goes away.

"I know I'm one of the more experienced heads in the squad now and that comes with responsibility. We've got a young group, with some really exciting players coming through and I genuinely enjoy helping the next generation find their feet and push on.

"Matt is a great example of that. He's grown into a real leader in this group and the boys look up to him in the way he trains and the way he carries himself off the pitch. Between us, I think we can bring the best out of this squad."

Currie came through at Edinburgh and has made 72 appearances for his boyhood club.

"It's a massive honour to be named co-captain," he said. "When you look at the names who have led Edinburgh before, it's not something I take lightly.

"I've always looked up to Magnus and learned a huge amount from him, particularly in terms of leadership. The way he sets standards, both on and off the pitch, is something I've tried to take into my own game. I'm really looking forward to working alongside him to drive this group forward."

Everitt believes the pair "complement each other really well".

"Magnus is playing some of the best rugby of his career," said the head coach.

"He's been such a consistent performer for us and he drives us forward in so many ways. On the field it's his physicality and off it he holds players accountable and sets really high standards.

"Matt has the ability to be a Test starter for Scotland and he's been unlucky with injury at times. He's one of the most consistent players in our squad and the guys look up to him because he raises the standards around him every day. He'll be a great leader for this club."

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Injured Emma Wassell has been ruled out of the remaining three Tests of Scotland's WXV Global Series campaign, while Rachel Phillips will miss Saturday's visit of Australia (16:10 BST).

Centre Holly McIntyre, 23, replaces Phillips, who is observing concussion protocols.

Phillips and Wassell both started Saturday's 66-14 defeat at home by New Zealand and the opening 64-26 loss to Canada, which was also at the Hive Stadium.

Australia visit the Hive in the first of three successive meetings against the Scots, with the latter matches in Sydney (17 October) and Canberra (23 October).

The Wallaroos have lost in France and England so far in this year's WXV.

The BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast is back!

Andy Burke and Tom English chat with former Scotland captain Andy Nicol about a summer of uncertainty at Scottish Rugby following the unexpected departures of chief executive Alex Williamson and women's head coach Sione Fukofuka.

There's also a preview of the new URC season - with Glasgow and Edinburgh's prospects discussed - and an interview with Scotland's Meryl Smith as the game with Australia looms on Saturday.

Listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland prop Leah Bartlett is urging her team to make history at Hive Stadium on Saturday by registering a first-ever victory over Australia.

The Scots have suffered two heavy defeats to Canada and New Zealand in their opening two games of the WXV Global Series.

After facing the teams ranked two and three in the world, Dave Butcher's side now have a chance to go up against the Wallaroos, ranked one spot below them. Scotland will then head to Australia for a further two meetings between the sides.

"We're chasing a few firsts," Bartlett told BBC Scotland. "First win against Australia and then obviously out in Australia as well, looking forward to the challenge of two Test matches out in Australia and hopefully going for a clean sweep.

"It would do a huge amount for us confidence-wise, being able to express ourselves the way that we want to be able to.

"We have had such difficult opposition that have nullified our attack a little bit. I'm not saying that Australia aren't in the slightest there. They're an exceptionally good outfit.

"We've obviously got some incredible attacking threats on our team, which we have seen glimpses of that in the last couple of games. Hopefully we'll start seeing that a bit more often than not."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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It could be November before former Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie makes his Glasgow Warriors debut as the 30-year-old flanker recovers from injury.

The former Edinburgh stalwart signed from French club Perpignan in the summer but will remain on the sidelines for the opening months of the URC season which starts this weekend.

As Warriors prepare to visit Munster on Saturday, attack coach Nigel Carolan told BBC Sport Scotland that an ankle problem and subsequent complications with an Achilles tendon are keeping Ritchie out of action.

"He's working his way back," said Carolan. "Hopefully he'll be back before the November break, but he's on target for then. He might be a little bit sooner.

"It's difficult when you join a club and he just wants to contribute on the field. At the moment, it's just in meetings, sitting back and trying to learn how we do things. It's tough for him because he just wants to let go."

Three other Scotland internationals will also miss the curtain raiser at Thormond Park since club captain Kyle Steyn, Zander Fagerson, and Alex Samuel all picked up knocks on the national team's summer tour of Argentina.

Carolan explained there was "no rush to force them back" and predicted the trio would be "integrated in the next few weeks".

Warriors finished top of the URC last season but were knocked out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage by the Bulls at Murrayfield.

Franco Smith's side also fell short at the knockout stage in the European Champions Cup, their impressive campaign ending in a 22-19 home quarter-final defeat by Toulon.

"When we look back on those games, it's not what we do, it's how we do it," said Carolan. "The focus now is not waiting until next June until we address those things.

"It's all small things. It's skill execution, it's a kick, it's a chase, it's a pass, it's a bit of work in contact. It's not the bigger part of our game, it's small parts of our game that we just didn't execute.

"In parts of those games we were brilliant, absolutely brilliant, we just were unable to maintain that at the back end when it really mattered."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Meryl Smith says Scotland do not feel any added pressure to deliver a victory over Australia in the WXV Global Series on Saturday after heavy defeats to Canada and New Zealand.

The Scots were outgunned by the sides ranked two and three in the world but now face the team who sit one spot below them.

"We're not too worried about the pressure and the expectation," Smith told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"I think the last couple of games were definitely about our performance, focusing on ourselves, and we're still looking at that going forward and we want to make sure we put our best version of ourselves forward.

"If we do that we will expect the results to come. I think we're in a really good position but we're still building, we're still moving forward and the team we are now is very different to that of a year ago, two years ago when we played them last.

"It's definitely a game that we're targeting, we won't shy away from that.

"The previous two games were about seeing where we are, what we need to work on and developing our performance as a team. Now we're looking to chase that outcome and get the result this weekend. I think we're in a good position."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Evie Gallagher says Scotland must believe they belong amongst the world's best if they are to compete against the top international sides.

The number eight scored both of Scotland's tries against New Zealand but the Black Ferns were a class apart as they ran in 10 tries for a 66-14 victory at Hive Stadium.

It was a second straight defeat for the Scots in the WXV Global Series following last weekend's defeat to Canada.

Having faced the sides ranked two and three in the world, Gallagher has urged her team to show more belief in themselves as they prepare to face Australia next Saturday.

"We can punch well above our weight," she told BBC Scotland.

"I think it's doing it as a team and backing up small wins with small wins.

"I think we can be guilty of holding back a little bit because of the big names that we're going up against right now, but I think it's trust that we have those skill sets, we have the physicality, we just need to back it and trust that we can go again and again and again.

"Look, we're not shying away from the fact that we want a result against Australia, but they put in a fight against England the other week, so we know what they're going to bring.

"They're a very impressive side, but we want to take all the positives from these last two weeks and really put up a strong fight against them next week."

Andy Burke
BBC Scotland at Hive Stadium

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Scotland interim head coach Dave Butcher admitted New Zealand had been "awesome" in their 66-14 win at Hive Stadium.

The Black Ferns ran in 10 tries as they inflicted the Scots' second defeat out of two in the WXV Global Series.

"First of all, New Zealand were awesome," Butcher told BBC Scotland. "They're the best team in the world at the minute.

"It's great learning for this group in terms of how we want to play, but not just how we want to play, but tactically how we need to beat the best in the world and compete with the best in the world.

"You simply just can't give a team like New Zealand an easy ball and they'll just keep it and keep it until they score. That's definitely learning for us and we'll look at that, but we'll also really look at the positive pieces and where we've grown from last week."

Evie Gallagher scored both of Scotland's tries in the first half but the hosts could not register in the second period, though did restrict New Zealand for an extended spell.

"I'm immensely proud of how the girls fought back after that first 10 minutes of the second half, when we legitimately could have folded," added Butcher.

"To come back and play 20 minutes of that game and really stand tall with them, we're really proud of them for that."