According to Sadia Kabeya, England is poised to demonstrate its resilience in the face of numerous absentees when they clash with Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday. The Red Roses are dealing with the loss of 10 players due to injury or pregnancy for the Guinness Women's Six Nations round two match, including double World Cup winner Alex Matthews, who is sidelined with a shoulder issue. This has significantly impacted their second-row lineup, where 22-year-old Lilli Ives Campion, with just six caps, is now the senior lock, partnering with Abi Burton, a converted back-row player.
Kabeya views this crisis as an opportunity for England to showcase its squad depth as they aim to build upon their 33-12 victory over Ireland that kicked off their championship campaign. 'This team is known for its strength in depth, and now we have the perfect chance to prove it,' the flanker noted. 'Although it's unfortunate to have so many injuries and key leaders out, we have players stepping up who have been performing well in the Premiership Women's Rugby all season, and our training has been going smoothly.' A record-breaking crowd of over 25,000 is expected to watch Rachel Malcolm's underdogs attempt to pull off an upset, marking the highest attendance for a standalone women's sporting event in Scotland.
'I've never had the chance to play at Murrayfield before,' Kabeya said. 'I recall watching a game there from home when it was snowing and freezing, feeling relieved I wasn't there.
At that time, I was far from being part of the England squad, so now having the opportunity to play there myself is exciting.' Kabeya reflected on the significant growth of the women's game over the past couple of years, noting, 'It will be a very emotional day and game, especially for the Scottish team, and it's an honor to be part of a day that will go down in history.'