Rugby World Cup qualifier: Scotland v Colombia - Scots want success after tragedy

In her days as an Alpine skier, wheeching through the Chamonix Valley like there was no tomorrow, Helen Nelson thought she was in heaven. And, in many ways, she was.

She was a kid then; 13, 14, 15 years of age. Raised in Glencoe and the daughter of ski instructors, she reckons she first stepped on a slope when she was two, maybe three at the most.

By the time she was in her early teens, she was a member of the Scottish team. She headed off to France and Norway and other such places. «Training and racing in the morning and school in the afternoon — 30 of us — carnage. But just unforgettable amounts of fun.»

As good as that was — and as much as those carefree days bring a smile to her face — she could top all of that on Friday if Scotland's women beat Colombia in Dubai and qualify for their first Rugby World Cup since 2010.

The fly-half is 80 minutes away from a place in the big show in New Zealand in the autumn. They'd be in a group with Wales, Australia and the host nation and five-time world champions. «It doesn't get any bigger than playing New Zealand in New Zealand in a World Cup.»

This is Nelson's second crack at making it. «I've been in the team since 2016 and went through the qualifiers before. I was such a young pup that I didn't really understand it all back then. I was in the squad but wasn't sure I was good enough.

»I went and watched some of the games [the World Cup was hosted by Ireland] and just seeing the hype and excitement around it, I knew I wanted to be part of it one day."

Nelson is one of those who can tell you how hard this road has been, who can list off the defeats that moulded the spirit that exists within this group. Big whopping losses, heartbreakingly narrow losses and the occasional victory