We’ll get up off our knees to sink Wales
RUGBY SIX NATIONS COUNTDOWN Dell: Scots can get back on track by binning blunders
ALLAN DELL insists Scotland’s Six Nations story of self-inflicted wounds must come to an end against Wales.
The prop is adamant defeats to Ireland and France haven’t dented a belief that Warren Gatland’s side’s Grand Slam ambitions will be demolished at Murrayfield.
Optimism has now given way to damage limitation for Gregor Townsend’s squad but Dell said: “We don’t have a point to prove. We know how good we are.
“We know when we play and get things right, when we concentrate, that we can play good rugby. It’s about backing that up. So we should get back on that run again.
“We’ve had such good runs then we get blips in concentration and stuff up then it’s panic stations.
“In the camp we’re confident. We know how we want to play, we just didn’t do it in Paris against the French who played well.
“We just need to make sure we do the right things at the right times. We need to be on it mentally as well.”
Eyes are already starting to turn towards the World Cup in Japan later this year which illustrates the anti-climax for a Six Nations still with two games remaining.
A nightmare injury list comes under the mitigating circumstances category and Dell added: “There have obviously been disruptions BY GORDON PARKS and they haven’t helped us. But we have the personnel who are good enough to execute the gameplan.
“We’re not feeling the pressure but we know it’s important we make a statement and get back on track.
“You’re always under pressure. When you’re on a winning streak people put pressure on you to carry on winning and if you’re losing people put pressure on you to get out of the slump. There is always pressure but we know how good we are.”
Scotland’s recent record against Wales doesn’t make for encouraging reading, with Gatland’s side surging on a winning streak. And Dell said: “The confidence within the Welsh squad is very high and Gatland’s going about saying their team has forgotten how to lose. So they’re going to be full of confidence.
“But we’re not worried about the prospect of us trying to stop them winning a Grand Slam. We’re just going to focus on ourselves and getting our game flowing again so we can get confidence and on the front foot again.
“Wales are a good side but if they take us lightly, thinking about the Grand Slam and about how we played in France, we can get a good run on them.”