Scotland's Six Nations slump raises questions for new era under Sione Fukofuka | Sarah Rendell

"Scotland reached the last eight for the first time since 2002 and did so in convincing fashion. They defeated Fiji, their win over Wales was dominant and they challenged Canada, the eventual runners-up, in their final pool match. They were blown away by England in the quarter-final but it was nonetheless a successful campaign. The tournament's end brought a close to Bryan Easson's time in charge of the team and a whole new coaching staff were employed."

"In came Sione Fukofuka, who was previously in charge of the United States team. So far he has won only one of their four games, which came in the first round of the Six Nations, against Wales. That performance was, on the whole, positive, but it should not be forgotten that Wales almost came back to win in the closing minutes of the contest. Their form since then has been unimpressive."

"England completely obliterated Scotland's Murrayfield party in round two by scoring the most points they have against their Celtic neighbours since 2011. After that defeat, Rachel Malcolm, Scotland's captain, was quick to say they targeted three matches in the tournament and the Red Roses fixture was not one of them. But one such target was the Italy game and not only did they lose, they were crushed 41-14."

"Saturday's game against France saw an improved outing but the Scots still lost 69-28 and conceded the most points they have against Les Bleues since 2014. So, why is this happening? Fukofuka has in part blamed a World Cup hangover, which he laid out before the team took on France. The reality is that the players worked rea"

Scotland supporters are questioning the cause of a disappointing Women’s Six Nations after a strong World Cup run. Scotland reached the last eight for the first time since 2002, beating Fiji, dominating Wales, and challenging Canada before losing to England in the quarter-final. The tournament ended Bryan Easson’s coaching tenure and brought in Sione Fukofuka, previously responsible for the United States team. Scotland has won only one of four Six Nations games, beating Wales in the opening round, though Wales nearly recovered late. Subsequent matches brought heavy losses to England, Italy, and France, with England scoring the most points against Scotland since 2011 and France scoring the most since 2014. Fukofuka partially attributed the downturn to a World Cup hangover.

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