Vice-captain Helen Nelson believes Scotland can spring a major surprise and beat England in their opening match of the Six Nations.

England have scored 40 tries in their last four meetings with Scotland.

“We love playing against England and we love the fact we are underdogs,” said fly-half Nelson.

“We’ll take that and put in a good performance on Saturday.

“We’ve had a few injuries and previously that would have been a scary place, but now we’ve got depth coming through and it’s a perfect opportunity for those youngsters who have been training really well.

“It feels different, it feels fresh.”

Loughborough Lightning’s Nelson will win her 47th cap in Newcastle, while nine of Brian Easson’s matchday 23 have made fewer than 10 international appearances.

Asked if such a a youthful side could upset the odds and win in Newcastle, Nelson told BBC Scotland: “I think we can.

“There’s been a lot of potential in this squad for a long time,” she said. “Now that we are concentrating on that extra depth and working on our psychology we can really start to show what we can do.

“It’s about putting out a consistent 80 minutes.

“The more the women’s game develops, the games get tighter and it’s about dealing with that pressure, that decision-making. We need to look forward and concentrate on what we can fix.”

Scotland have had 28 players on professional contracts since December, whereas previously most have had to fit the sport around their jobs or studies.

“After playing for our clubs at the weekends, coming up to midweek camps has been a massive benefit,” said Nelson.

“And there’s the recovery side of it, girls are getting days off to properly look after their bodies instead of working nine to five.

“It’s a step in the right direction, although it will take time to properly bridge the gap. It’s a really exciting time.”