YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET! MORE TO COME FROM THE HISTORY BOYS

Squad strength, team spirit, world-class individuals are all reasons to be cheerful Incredibly there is more to come from these stellar Scots

THE FEELGOOD factor sweeping over Scottish rugby in the wake of Saturday’s record-breaking defeat of Australia has fans counting down the days until the Six Nations kicks off. After a successful autumn Test series,

Sportsmail’s rugby correspondent Rob Robertson reflects on the action and highlights the reasons why we can look ahead with such optimism.

THE NEW BOYS

Admit it. When you saw Scotland had ten uncapped players in their autumn Test squad, you feared the worst didn’t you?

You weren’t alone to have concerns, especially over the front row.

An injury crisis meant relative unknowns were called up.

Darryl Marfo was fifth-choice loose-head prop at Edinburgh. Simon Berghan was second-choice tighthead at Edinburgh but hadn’t started many games.

Jamie Bhatti had hardly played for Glasgow up until this season and still had a lot to prove.

All three showed we need not have worried.

Against Samoa and New Zealand, Marfo was superb. Bhatti was magnificent when he came on for him against Australia.

Berghan put in a good shift against Australia before being replaced by Zander Fagerson.

Scotland needed a solid scrum. These three made sure they had that in all three matches.

FORTRESS MURRAYFIELD

Scotland captain John Barclay said the atmosphere against Australia was the best he had experienced.

In terms of heart-stopping moments, nothing will match the moment when Murrayfield thought Stuart Hogg was going to score in the corner against New Zealand.

There was also a very poignant occasion when Doddie Weir delivered the match ball before the All Blacks game.

The home of Scottish rugby has seen it all over the last three weeks and has become the 16th man.

Scotland play England and France at Murrayfield during the Six Nations. The atmosphere is going to be amazing.

TEAM SPIRIT

It’s 25 minutes before kick-off and your star player goes down injured. For some, that would be a disaster but not this Scotland team. The determined attitude kicked in and they took losing Hogg in their stride.

Sean Maitland filled his boots well and Ryan Wilson was an able vice-captain in his absence. Byron McGuigan (right) came off the bench for Maitland and scored two tries.

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

John Barclay is quiet and unassuming off the pitch. On it, he is an inspirational leader.

There had been concerns when Greig Laidlaw was out injured that Scotland would lack someone of equal calibre to take over. Barclay cut his teeth in the role at the end of the Six Nations and on the summer tour. He has made it his own during these autumn Tests. Laidlaw will struggle to win his starting place for the Six Nations as Ali Price is playing so well. Even if he does, Barclay should retain the captaincy, come what may.

÷RISK AND REWARD

Scotland play on the edge just like Gregor Townsend used to do.

That is what makes watching his team so entertaining. Playing such an attacking high-tempo game needs a high skills set. Townsend’s players have that because of long sessions with skills coach Mike Blair on the training ground.

It is a risky strategy to attack all of the time but, so far tactically, it has been the correct approach. Long may it continue.

÷STRENGTH IN DEPTH

One of the main positives from the autumn Tests is that the new players who have become involved have given Scotland real strength in depth.

There was a time if first-choice players such as hooker Ross Ford were injured, there would be no ready-made replacement. Look at that position now.

We have Stuart McInally (right) playing out of his skin in all three autumn Test matches.

You also have Fraser Brown, George Hunter and Ford, when he returns from injury, also competing for a starting place. Back-row forward Luke Hamilton, before he had to go off injured, did well against New Zealand on his debut. So did Newcastle centre Chris Harris, who debuted against Samoa. The big names who missed this autumn series will struggle to get their places back.

÷THEY CAN HANDLE THE PRESSURE

There are 67,000 fans desperate for a Scotland win. The third-best team in the world are the opponents. They have the best back division in world rugby. They go ahead with two first-half tries in three minutes. Panic? Nothing of the sort. This was a composed Scotland, who stayed cool. It turned out it

was Australia who lost the plot. Prop Sekope Kepu saw red for a violent charge on Hamish Watson.

Scotland kept the head throughout and only concentrated on the next play and doing the simple things well.

No yellow cards or stupid penalties. Calmness personified.

÷WORLD-CLASS PLAYERS

Every top international team needs them to win trophies.

Scotland have two just now, with Hogg and Finn Russell. There are three more with the potential to reach that level.

Not much was known about Huw Jones when he won his first Scotland cap against Japan in the summer of 2016.

Everybody knows his name now.

His tries against New Zealand and Australia would have enhanced his reputation worldwide. The Glasgow Warriors centre has the potential to become world class. He isn’t far away even now.

The same goes for gentle giant Jonny Gray whose experience will be raised even further when he leaves Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season for a top English or French club.

He was magnificent against New Zealand and particularly against Australia.

Openside flankers are worth their weight in gold and Watson (left) is one of the best in the northern hemisphere. Another Scottish player who can become world class.

÷FITNESS

The last ten minutes of any international match are always vital. Skills sets are so equal among teams that it can go down to who finishes matches stronger to decide the winner. Against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia, it was Scotland who had more gas left in the tank. Hogg’s burst up the touchline against the All Blacks is an example of that. Scotland’s strength and conditioning coach Stuart Yule has them the fittest they have ever been. He should take a bow.

THERE IS NO FEAR NOW

Previous Scotland teams suffered a lack of belief against big teams. The current one is the opposite of that.

Townsend has been working on the minds as well as the bodies of his players.

The Scotland head coach brought in sports psychologist Damian Hughes when he took over in the summer.

Townsend is open to new ideas and knows that having people like Hughes around can improve the minds of his players.

They fear nobody — when they should against New Zealand and Australia.

The same attitude will prevail in the Six Nations.

DISCIPLINE

Not a single Scotland player was yellow-carded in all three autumn internationals. Not that many needless penalties were given away.

There was no rush of blood from players desperate to get stuck in to the opposition.

Keeping their discipline was a vital part of the success story over the past three games.

Too often in the past, a needless yellow — or even red — card would have spoiled Scotland’s chances. Not this time.

They were hard but fair. A fine line to walk. Let’s hope they can maintain this.

PLAYING TO THEIR STRENGTHS

The line-out drive has been a main weapon for Scotland.

With either Wilson or Cornell du Preez at the back of the bus, it has caused problems.

Scotland held their own at the scrum but were never going to out-scrum the opposition.

That was why Price getting the ball in and out as quickly as possible was the way to play.

Russell used the grubber kick well against the All Blacks, which had them turning on their heels.

Against Australia, he kept the ball in hand more than kicking for position, as he knew Scotland could run them ragged out wide.

THE BACKROOM BOYS

Townsend quite rightly takes the praise but his backroom team have proved able deputies.

Defence coach Matt Taylor was under pressure after his team leaked five tries against Samoa.

They were hardly water-tight against New Zealand or Australia but they were a lot better.

Forwards coach Dan McFarland is the man who deserves special praise.

He had to work with a makeshift pack full of new, untried players. He turned them into a hard-working unit that excelled against Australia. Skills coach Mike Blair made sure the team were able to pass fast and accurate under pressure.

MORE TO COME

Scotland will have British and Irish Lions Laidlaw, Richie Gray, and Allan Dell all available for the Six Nations.

They missed the autumn Tests through injury along with the likes of Duncan Taylor, Alasdair Dickinson and Adam Ashe.

No wonder Scotland are looking to the future with such confidence.