In the lead up and even during this tournament there have been numerous negative story lines surrounding this team.
Contract stalemates, uncertain futures, a departing head coach, players removed from cold storage. The mood music seemed muted from the outside.
Internally, the players – at the heart of a stand-off with the union – seem to have ignored the noise but the BBC’s Sara Orchard had another theory.
“I think the person who has said it best so far is actually the former England captain Katie Daley-McLean, when she just said what Scotland are putting out on the field right now, is not because of what’s going on behind, it’s in spite of it.
“What they are doing that with all that baggage, is stunning, absolutely stunning.”
Former Scotland captain and fly-half Lisa Martin agreed: “In a way, you’d kind of wish that they weren’t performing as well because of it, because you’re like, ‘oh, clearly, it’s absolutely fine’.
“It’s kind of camouflaging it, but’s great that they’re able to do this in spite of everything.”
It’s not the motivation the squad would have wanted, and in the long run that level of emotion is simply not sustainable. But in the performances so far, the proverbial two fingers have been stuck up to the doubters, and perhaps to the powers that be.
