England infringe, Nuala Deans lands the penalty and the lead is down to just two.

Well, that looked simple.

England win good ball off the top at the back of a line-out, crisp passing sees blind-side wing Lydia Thompson pop up in the full-back channel and she draws the cover before giving Ruth Laybourn the chance to show her pace on the outside.

Katy Mclean cannot convert from out wide.

England captain Katy Mclean gets us underway in a misty Darlington.

Murrayfield Wanderers wing Eilidh Sinclair steps up from the bench into the starting XV for the Scots, while Richmond's Deborah McCormack comes in at lock.

After losing 42-0 (against France), 39-3 (against Wales) and 31-8 (against Italy), damage limitation is surely high on the agenda for the visitors tonight.

England full-back Fiona Pocock is back for the first time since 2013, while last summer's World Cup winner Lydia Thompson has not played for England since August 2014.

The pair are two of five changes made by acting England Women's head coach Nicola Ponsford.

Justine Lucas, Rowena Burnfield and Hannah Field replace Laura Keates, Abigail Scott and Hannah Gallagher.

Captain Katy Mclean is one of three players from hosts Darlington Mowden Park in the XV, with three more on the bench.

England: Fiona Pocock (Richmond); Ruth Laybourn (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Abigail Brown (Bristol), Ceri Large (Worcester), Lydia Thompson (Worcester); Katy Mclean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Bianca Blackburn (Worcester); Rochelle Clark (Worcester), Victoria Fleetwood (Saracens), Justine Lucas (Lichfield), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Rowena Burnfield (Richmond), Alexandra Matthews (Richmond), Hannah Field (Richmond), Harriet Millar-Mills (Waterloo).

Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Lichfield), Victoria Cornborough (Richmond), Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Abbie Scott (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Hannah Gallagher (Saracens), Fiona Davidson (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Amber Reed (Bristol), Lauren Cattell (Saracens)

Scotland: Chloe Rollie (Melrose); Eilidh Sinclair (Murrayfield Wanderers), Hannah Smith (Hillhead Jordanhill), Nuala Deans (Wasps), Abi Evans (Northumbria University), Lisa Martin (Murrayfield Wanderers), Sarah Law (Murrayfield Wanderers), Lisa Robertson (Murrayfield Wanderers), Lana Skeldon (Melrose), Tracy Balmer (Worcester), Deborah McCormack (Richmond), Emma Wassell (Murrayfield Wanderers), Rachael Cook (Murrayfield Wanderers), Karen Dunbar (RHC Cougars), Jade Konkel (Hillhead Jordanhill).

Replacements: Lindsey Smith (Hillhead Jordanhill), Heather Lockhart (Hillhead Jordanhill), Katie Dougan (RHC Cougars), Fiona Sim (Saracens), Lyndsay O'Donnell (Worcester), Mhairi Grieve (RHC Cougars), Claire Bain (RHC Cougars), Jenny Maxwell (Lichfield).

As you can see from the table at the bottom, England go into the game with only one win from three, with injuries and sevens commitments having weakened their squad.

Scotland, meanwhile, are rock bottom with three straight defeats.

So then, a big weekend of rugby kicks off in the north east of England as the hosts, looking little like the world champions they became last summer, welcome struggling Scotland to Darlington Mowden Park's Northern Echo Arena.

Tomorrow we've got Wales v Ireland in the men's version topping the bill, with the Irish looking to maintain their Grand Slam bid, followed by the distaff England v Scotland game.

But tonight is all about the women's game...