Scotland players used to overcoming adversity as prop says shock coach change hasn't derailed WXV preparations
Anne Young says it has been a ‘seamless’ transition with Dave Butcher taking charge of Scotland following Sione Fukofuka’s resignation.
Scotland prop Anne Young says that Sione Fukofuka’s surprise resignation as Scotland Women’s head coach hasn’t disrupted their preparations for the upcoming WXV Global Series.
Dave Butcher, who was appointed forward’s coach under the Australian, has stepped up to the job, with Young describing the transition as ‘seamless’. She believes that the players are used to dealing with adversity and uncertainty so this latest surprise hasn’t set them back.
"I think as a group we're pretty good at dealing with any sort of adversity or change,” explained Young. “We've been very adaptable over the years and we've been through a lot.
“We’ve been through a lot” - adversity nothing new to Scotland women says Anne Young
"Obviously something like that, it's something that we've dealt with. With Dave coming in there has been continuity because he was involved in successions, but the coaching staff we have now have fitted in really, really well.
“It has been seamless. We've obviously had Laids [Chris Laidlaw] as a coach before, so a lot of the girls know him. All I can say is that the preparation has been going really well.
“It seems to be gelling with us and the coaching staff pretty well. We're used to dealing with stuff like that.
“Dave is great. I've had limited interaction with him, just because [of missing] the Six Nations and then being integrated back in recently, but every interaction I've had with him has been really great. He's such a positive force around the group.
“He knows when to be serious, he knows when to have a laugh with us. I think he's really just got the vibe of our group really well and I think he just fits in with us really well. I’m excited to have him as the head coach going into this tournament and see what we can do under his leadership."
It will be a tough round of fixtures for Scotland as they face Canada, New Zealand and Australia at the Hive next month. It’s a test that Young is looking forward to against some of the game’s top sides.
She said: “Last year when we played them [Canada] we put up a really good fight. They were number two in the world at the time and we really took them to the final whistle, I thought.
"So it'll be exciting to see where we are, the progress we've put in over the summer during pre-season, all the work that's gone into that, to see where we are against such a top-class team.
“To be the best, you've got to play the best. So I think it's going to be a really exciting challenge for us as a group to see where we are and to see how far we've come from Six Nations.
"We've had more time together, more time with the coaching staff and things like that. Hopefully it's going to be exciting matches for our fans to watch and for us to play."
Young, who missed this year’s Six Nations due to an ankle fracture, is hoping she will be fit in time to play some part in the next three fixtures, adding: “I'm integrating back into camp this week, which is really exciting, pretty much just doing the last final finishing touches.
“I think we're still in the hands of the physios. I'm very much going week by week. I think it is looking promising, hopefully to be involved in WXV in some capacity."
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