Bryan Easson believes he has never picked a stronger Scotland team after selecting the 23 for the crucial opening Women’s Rugby World Cup clash with Wales in Salford on Saturday. Despite injury concerns over a host of players, most notably hooker Lana Skeldon, the Scotland coach has been able to pick his best side for a game that may well decide who emerges from Pool B. Skeldon went down in Scotland’s last warm-up clash against Ireland with an ankle injury but has recovered in time for this encounter, while lock Sarah Bonar is also fit to start alongside Emma Wassell in the second row. Rachel Malcolm will captain the side once more, and Easson admitted there was some relief at how his team have come through their respective injuries. He said: “It has been pleasing, considering we've had some injuries over the warm-up period. It’s been really good to be able to have a full week’s training with these guys. It's a strong side, probably the strongest I've been able to pick over my time with the national squad. “You look at the way Lana [Skeldon] has worked, and Jade [Konkel] has worked, Sarah Bonar as well, the work that they've put in behind the scenes to make sure that they're ready to play this game is testament to them. The big focus with this group is team first. So, if they weren't ready, they'd have been honest.” Skeldon will pack down alongside Leah Bartlett and Elliann Clarke in the front row, while Malcolm is joined by Rachel McLachlan and Evie Gallagher in the back row. The backline is as expected with Leia Brebner-Holden and Helen Nelson running the show in the half-backs and Lisa Thomson joining Emma Orr in the midfield. The back three is made up of Rhona Lloyd, Fran McGhie, and Chloe Rollie, while on the bench, Easson has gone with a 6:2 split between forwards and backs, as Alex Stewart is poised for her World Cup debut in a year that has seen her bounce back from being diagnosed with Coeliac disease and diabetes during the Guinness Women’s Six Nations. Meanwhile, Easson insists that Scotland’s focus is purely on their World Cup performances, despite recent off-field troubles. It was announced shortly before the tournament that the coach would step down from his role at the end of the campaign, while there have also been tricky negotiations over player contracts in recent weeks. For now, though, the Scotland coach insists all has been forgotten ahead of the most important game of the tournament for the side. He said: “Rachel [Malcolm] and I spoke about it with you guys previously and we've pushed that to the side. We have been firmly focused on this Rugby World Cup for the last eight weeks. We're not looking beyond this game; we're not looking at anything that's come before. If we take an eye off this game, we could fail.” In a pool that also features the world’s number two side, Canada, and outsiders Fiji, this game will likely decide who joins the North Americans in the last eight. Three years ago, it was Keira Bevan’s last-gasp penalty that split the sides in their pool clash, and the scrum-half will start for Sean Lynn’s Wales on this occasion. The Welsh received some good injury news of their own with co-captain Alex Callender fit and starting at No.8, having shaken off an ankle injury she picked up on the recent tour of Australia. She is joined in the back row by her fellow co-captain Kate Williams, while Lisa Neumann is set to win her 50th cap for her country on the wing.