Coreen Grant’s best moment in a Scotland jersey came when she scored a try against Wales in the last Six Nations. It was a vital touchdown as it helped her team to a 20-18 win in Cardiff.
It was a big moment as it was Scotland women’s seventh Test win in a row and the victory ended a 20-year-long losing streak against the Welsh in Cardiff.
Six months has passed since then and she is hoping she can get over the try line again when she lines up on the wing for Scotland against Wales at Hive Stadium tomorrow evening.
“That try against Wales in Cardiff was a very special memory that I cherish,’’ said the dual Cambridge University and Durham University graduate.
"It was my first ever player of the match award and I take a lot of confidence from that try.
“I can’t beat that one as it was scored alongside my Scotland team mates who worked so hard that day. The work inside me during the game was fantastic with Emma Orr and Meryl Smith. It is just so good to have them inside me creating space and I love playing outside them for Scotland."
Grant, 26, knows how tough a task her side face as the last match against Wales back in March in the Six Nations hung in the balance till the very end. Scotland took an early lead but had to rely on a missed Lleucu George conversion which would have secured a Welsh draw after Alex Callender’s try.
"Our games against Wales are always tight and hotly contested," said the former Royal High School pupil who was coached by former Scotland international Graham Shiel while there.
"We look forward to the challenge at The Hive but know it will take a full 80-minute performance to win and that is what we are looking to put together.
"We will take confidence from our previous performances against them and the things we learned from those matches too."
Grant will go up against one of the best Welsh players Jasmine Joyce who played for the GB sevens team in the Olympics. Known as one of the fastest players around it is a challenge that the Scotland player is looking forward to.
"She is a very strong competitor and I respect her work at 15s and 7s," said the Scotland winger, who has scored three tries in 11 caps.
"It is exciting to go in against her and it will bring out the best in both of us. She is a strong tackler, I can tell you and I am looking forward to going up against her.’
Grant, whose brilliant winning solo try for Cambridge University three minutes from time against Oxford University in 2019 is hailed as one of the best ever in the Varsity match, believes it is vital that her team get a win over the Welsh to build momentum.
They then have another warm-up match against Fiji at the Hive before travelling to South Africa to compete in the WXV2 competition which is a tournament for middle ranked sides in world rugby. Other teams competing are hosts South Africa, Australia, Italy, Japan and USA.
"The win is what we are targeting against Wales but as it is the start of the season we are expecting the unexpected from them," she said.
"We aim to execute well but whatever happens we will take it in our stride as we want to build a strong performance that we can roll onto WXV2."
Grant is hoping the strength in depth of the Scotland team that includes some experienced players on the bench including Jade Konkel will start them off with a morale-boosting win over the Welsh.
"We have new faces in there who have been putting their hands up during pre-season as well as a lot of experienced players so hopefully we can put these two things together," she said.
"We have a really exciting bench with experience on there and fresh new faces and potentiallly two new caps in Lucia Scott and Leia Brebner-Holden which is exciting for the first game of the season.’
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