Why Scotland have had enough of underdog reputation
They have wanted a fair crack from Scottish Rugby when it comes to contracts, resources and all the different kinds of support a team needs to compete. Watch every match live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app; listen to match commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and BBC Sounds; follow live text and match highlights online As Scotland prepare to face Wales in Saturday's Women's Six Nations opener at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, Wassell's mind may wander back to the reverse fixture in 2017. The Scots edged a tight affair 15-14 at Broadwood Stadium.
It was their first Six Nations victory in seven years. They have made significant strides since then. A one or two-win Six Nations is no longer hailed as a roaring success, and coming off an encouraging World Cup last year in which they reached the quarter-finals, the team no longer wish to be viewed as the plucky underdogs with nothing to lose.
"When you're labelled an underdog, you probably take a little bit of the pressure off you," Wassell told BBC Scotland. "But I believe we have that pressure to perform and succeed now. "It might seem cliched, but it really is a privilege to have that level of pressure.
It's about going out and doing it. I'm so proud to see the growing fan base and the crowds that we're getting, but what I truly care about is winning for Scotland. " 'Treatment of Scotland players wasn't good enough' At the start of a new World Cup cycle and with a new coaching team in place, there's a sense of a new page being turned in this Scotland set-up.
Bryan Easson departed after five years following that quarter-final exit to England, with former United States head coach Sione Fukofuka taking over. Captain Rachel Malcolm says Scotland want to get to the stage of "fighting in that top four, top five in the world", but warns with a new coach and a host of new players, the team may have to endure a step back to take a few forward. Thankfully the build-up to this Six Nations has been less stressful than prior to the World Cup, when the squad was angered by a perceived lack of respect over contracts that left several players facing unemployment after the tournament.