Emily Coubrough admits her first two weeks in the Scotland jersey have been a “whirlwind” experience, but the teenager seems to be taking every step up in her stride.
She produced an outstanding display on her debut against Wales as Scotland kicked off their Women’s Six Nations campaign with a 24-19 win in Cardiff, before another battling shift in extremely difficult circumstances in Saturday’s drubbing by England.
Despite the pain of that 84-7 defeat at Murrayfield, in which Scotland shipped 12 tries to one, Coubrough has relished the chance to make her mark on the international stage.
She said: “It's been amazing, a step up for sure and lots of learning and I've just enjoyed it so much.
"It's been a whirlwind for sure. It wasn't something I expected so soon, but I feel like I've really stepped up and I'm really proud of how I’ve done.”
When first-choice number eight Evie Gallagher was struck down with a hamstring injury before the championship began, Coubrough’s prospects of a test debut increased significantly.
And the Biggar product and Edinburgh University student, is aware she is in a unique position having won her first two caps in such iconic venues, with the Wales game played at the Principality Stadium
Asked to sum up the past fortnight, she said: “I'll be one of the first players in women's rugby to be able to say that I got my first two caps in such environments.
“The experience has been incredible, the girls around me have been even more so, just looking after me and making sure I'm confident and ready to go.”
For all her endeavour, Coubrough was powerless to stop world champions England as they dismantled a new-look Scotland team with relative ease, but the teenager does not think the one-sided nature of the game will have an adverse affect on her team-mates.
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“Well with them being the world champions we knew that they were going to be a very tough opposition and it proved that way, but I think there's lots of learning for us to take away from the game.
"We are a new squad, a young squad and we are under new management so we are just building now and we will continue to do that.”
She reserved words of praise for inspirational captain Rachel Malcolm, whose plate it will now fall upon to lift the squad before the trip to Italy this weekend.
“As a captain Rachel is so brilliant with her chats throughout the week and it's always about keeping morale high and seeing how we can improve in the next game.
“We have full confidence in how we can compete against these other squads that we still have to play in the tournament and there's so many learnings to take from the first two games and many positives as well.”
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