Team Mouat got their Le Gruyere European Curling Championships title defence underway with two victories on the second day of play at the event in Ostersund, beating Germany 6-4 after an extra end, before enjoying a more comfortable evening encounter with Spain as they came through that match 10-4 with two ends to spare.
The meeting with the Germans was a tense battle as their opponents, led by Sixten Totzek, belied their relatively lowly world ranking as they battled all the way.
Neither team conceding a multiple score in the 10 ends of regular play, but Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan had the advantage of carrying the hammer into the extra end, however and made it pay as they finally secured the win. 
Having required 11 ends to get a two in that match, they needed just one end to do so in their meeting with Spain, but rather than capitalise immediately on that advantage, after forcing their opponents at the second end, they then conceded their first steal of the competition at the third end to allow the scores to be levelled.
The decisive moment came at the next, however, when a mistake from Spanish skip Sergio Vez left Mouat a narrow port to get through and he negotiated it perfectly to make a raised take out that produced a four for his team and from that point they controlled the game.
“The German game earlier in the day was pretty tough going,” said Mouat.
“They played really well and put us in some tough spots, so it was really good to grind out the win there and we were really excited to beat Spain the way we did as well.
“Ice conditions have been great. We struggled a little bit to get it right in the first game, but it felt like we did in the second and it feels like we’re in a good spot.”
Taking a 7-2 lead into the interval of their match against Spain also provided the bonus of allowing them to get their alternate, 2018 Olympian Kyle Waddell, onto the ice while vice skip Grant Hardie took a break.
“Grant went off to give Kyle some time on the ice in case we need him later in the week,” Mouat explained.
“Kyle came on and played great and he’s fitting into the team really well, so it was good to see that we could make those adjustments and still put in a few good ends and be quite clinical when we’ve got him in.”
They know they will have to be firing on all cylinders on day three as they take on the host nation who are without their injured regular skip Niklas Edin, but present no less imposing a threat in being led by his fellow six time world champion Oskar Eriksson.
The two teams have developed a keen rivalry in recent years, with Mouat’s men having come out on top both times they have met in the finals at this event, while the Swedes have had the upper hand in the 2021 World Championships and 2022 Olympic finals.
“It’s been a good day, but we’ve got a big game tomorrow against Sweden and we know how tough that’s going to be, so we’re going to have to play a bit better to hopefully get another win over them,” Mouat acknowledged. 
Scotland’s women also moved to a 2-0 record after adding a 7-4 victory over Latvia to the 9-6 win they claimed over Turkey on the first evening of action.
They meet Italy and Denmark on day three.
The European Championships qualify teams for next year’s World Curling Championships with the women’s event (LGT World Women’s Curling Championship 2023) also taking place in Sweden in March (18-26 March) and the men’s event (BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men’s Curling Championship) in Ottawa in April (1-9 April).
Men’s teams: Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Spain (replacing Russia), Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Women’s teams: Denmark, Germany, Hungary (replacing Russia), Italy, Latvia, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Team Mouat
Bruce Mouat
Grant Hardie
BobbyLammie
Hammy McMillan
Kyle Waddell (alternate)
Coach: Michael Goodfellow
Team Morrison
Rebecca Morrison
Gina Aitken
Sophie Sinclair
Sophie Jackson
Hailey Duff (alternate)
Coach: Nancy Smith
WCF European Champs
Schedule:
Friday 18 November
Women – session 1
Scotland v Turkey 9-6
Saturday 19 November
Men – session 1
Scotland v Germany 6-4 (EE)
Women – session 2
Scotland v Latvia 7-4
Men - session 2
Scotland v Spain 10-4
Sunday 20 November
Women – session 3 – 09.00/08.00 GMT
Scotland v Italy
Men – session 3 – 14.00/13.00 GMT
Scotland v Sweden (broadcast game)*
Women – session 4 – 19.00/18.00 GMT
Scotland v Denmark
Monday 21 November
Men – session 4 – 08.00/07.00 GMT
Scotland v Czech Republic
Women – session 5 – 12.00/11.00 GMT
Scotland v Sweden
Men – session 5 -16.00/15.00 GMT
Scotland v Turkey
Women – session 6 – 20.00/19.00 GMT
Scotland v Germany
Tuesday 22 November
Men session 6 – 09.00/08.00 GMT
Scotland v Denmark
Women session 7 – 14.00/13.00 GMT
Scotland v Switzerland (broadcast game)*
Men session 7 – 19.00/18.00 GMT
Scotland v Norway
Wednesday 23 November
Women session 8 – 09.00/08.00 GMT
Scotland v Hungary
Men session 8 – 14.00/13.00 GMT
Scotland v Switzerland (broadcast game)*
Women session 9 – 19.00/18.00 GMT
Scotland v Norway
Thursday 24 November
Men session 9 – 08.00/07.00 GMT
Scotland v Italy
Women semi final 1 – 12.00/11.00 GMT (broadcast game)*
Women semi final 2 – 16.00/15.00 GMT (broadcast game)*
Men semi final 1- 20.00/19.00 GMT (broadcast game)*
Friday 25 November
Men semi final 2 – 09.00/08.00 GMT (broadcast game)*
Women bronze medal game – 14.00/13.00 GMT(broadcast game)*
Men bronze medal game – 19.00/18.00 GMT(broadcast game)*
Saturday 26 November
Women gold medal game 09.00/08.00 GMT(broadcast game)*
Men gold medal game 13.00/12.00 GMT(broadcast game)*
Image: WCF / Celine Stucki & Ansis Ventins
