According to Sadia Kabeya, England is well-prepared to demonstrate their resilience in the face of numerous absences as they take on Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday. The Red Roses are currently without 10 players due to injury or pregnancy, including the double World Cup winner Alex Matthews, who is sidelined with a shoulder issue. This has significantly impacted their second row, where 22-year-old Lilli Ives Campion, with only six caps, is now the senior lock and will partner with Abi Burton, who has been converted from the back row.
Kabeya views this crisis as an opportunity for England to showcase their squad's depth as they aim to build upon their 33-12 victory over Ireland in the first round of the Guinness Women's Six Nations. 'This team is known for its strength in depth, and now we have the perfect chance to prove it,' the flanker stated. '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.' England will face a record crowd of over 25,000 as Rachel Malcolm's Scotland seeks to pull off an upset in what will be the highest attendance for a standalone women's sporting event in Scotland. Kabeya expressed her excitement about playing at Murrayfield, a venue she has never played at before, and acknowledged the significant growth of the women's game over the past couple of years.
'It will be an emotional day for the Scottish team, and it's going to be a historic day, so I'm thrilled to be a part of it,' she said.