Scotland’s focus fixed on winning versus Italy

ROSS Ford (right) has revealed Scotland’s players are under strict orders not to turn tomorrow’s clash against Italy into the Vern Cotter farewell party.

The Kiwi will bow out as head coach after 36 Tests in charge following the Dark Blues’ final RBS 6 Nations fixture with the Azzurri.

The 55-year-old, who is to be replaced by Glasgow’s Gregor Townsend, is never at his most comfortable being the centre of attention.

Now hooker Ford has revealed he and his team-mates have been told explicitly to focus on grabbing the win at Murrayfield which could seal the runners-up slot and not to worry about sending Cotter out on a high.

He said: “I’ve got massive respect for Vern but he’s made it quite clear it’s not about him, it’s about the game.

“The boys understand that. We need to get things right to win the game. We need to be in the right frame of mind. We can worry about all the other stuff afterwards.

“Even if it hadn’t been Vern’s last game, our focus is always about where we can get a road into the game. Vern is all about that and never switches off in that area. Not even now.

“We want to finish on a high and we’re in a position where we can control that.”

Regardless of tomorrow’s result, Cotter will end his Dark Blues reign by becoming the first Scottish coach in the professional era to achieve a win ratio of at least 50%, having already clocked up 18 victories.

His team may have staggered to a record-equalling 40-point defeat against England at Twickenham last weekend but improvements under his watch have been clear to see.

His first Six Nations campaign included the ignominy of a fivegame whitewash.

However, the progress since has been rapid, with the run to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2015 and this year’s climb to a highestever world ranking of fourth the clear highlights.

Yet there remains a risk all his good work could be undone this weekend if the Scots were to slip up against Conor O’Shea’s men, a nightmare scenario which could cost them their place in the top eight Test nations.

However, for all that Cotter is refusing to make the match about him, he is determined to see the job through.

Reflecting back on his first experience of the Championship in 2015, he said: “It was the driving factor behind a lot of things we changed and saw very clearly the need to develop. As much as we hated it, that first Six Nations helped us.

“First and foremost, we want to win tomorrow. If winning becomes a possibility or a probability, then we can look at a bonus point as well, which will help us improve our position.”