Barclay: We’ll treat Wales to Toony’s special brand of organised chaos
flattering but Ireland did not lose a game in the autumn, neither did England.
“England have lost one game in two years, Wales have an impressive record in the Six Nations and look at the record of French rugby in Europe.
“I am not naive enough to think that just because we are playing well, that is enough.
“We have a great base but that is it and we have to be ready.”
Rob Evans, Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Aled and Gareth Davies as well as key man Leigh Halfpenny are part of a dozen Scarlets aces in the Welsh squad.
And Barclay knows his team-mates well enough to believe they’ll be pulling on their nation’s colours bursting with confidence after recent success with their club.
He said: “I’ve said it before but it’s a different team.
“I don’t know how they’re going to play or what their tactics are but certainly if they carry over the confidence and the energy they’re playing with at my club, they’ll be tricky.
“I don’t know how many of them will be in that Wales team, whether it’ll be six, seven, eight, nine. Whatever it is, it’s going to be tough.
“Scarlets have been playing a great brand of rugby and Wales are going down that route too.
“There’s more passing, a bit more width to their game, and some of the guys at Scarlets are doing that better than anyone.
“I am playing some big games for a club that is really thriving and has a really positive culture. When I come up to Scotland, it gives me an insight into perhaps the mindset of the players, some of their traits, strengths and weaknesses.”
After the campaign curtain-raiser against the Welsh, Scotland have home games against France and England.
And Barclay reckons the Murrayfield crowd will have a massive part to play after the backing his side enjoyed in three autumn Tests which amassed an astonishing 16 tries.
He said: “We could feel it in the autumn, the fans were thriving off what we were doing.
“The crowd enjoyed it but the players are thriving off what the crowd are doing.”