COTTER: SCOTS CAN MAKE THEIR MARK

group. They knew the coaches were changing in eight games time but they stuck to it. I am proud of the men that they are to be able to do that.

“I’m looking forward to seeing them kick on, that’s where I get my enjoyment. That was the deal so we just get on with it and move on. Nothing has changed and we knew that. We wanted to do the eight games from November as best we could and I think the boys really stuck to their task.

“I’m very proud of the way they turned up week in, week out and give the best of themselves.

“I have some very good assistant coaches with me who have helped in all of those things. It’s not one thing but a global thing. Winning three games in this Six Nations give you an idea of what we’ve been trying to do.

“We’ll be looking at the World Cup in 2019 with a real desire to do well.”

Scotland skipper John Barclay shared Cotter’s optimism that a corner has now been turned for the national team.

He said: “The guys are on the right path. I’ve been involved for 18 months and you can definitely feel it’s a different group now.

“We will make assessments of where we are and we then have a summer tour. It doesn’t really stop.

“Other teams are improving all the time as well so we’ve got to make sure that we are doing that too.”