AUTUMN HEROICS MAKE TOWNSEND’S SCOTS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
ARE we about to witness the rebirth of Scottish rugby as a northern hemisphere force? The performances of Gregor Townsend’s side during the autumn, when they pushed the All Blacks all the way and routed 14-man Australia at Murrayfield, means they have been attracting plenty of attention in the build-up to this tournament.
Townsend, who replaced Vern Cotter in the summer, has built on the New Zealander’s solid foundations, encouraging the Scots to play with the energy and ambition of his previous Glasgow Warriors side.
The fact that many see them as favourites for the opener in Cardiff speaks volumes of how far they have come in recent times. COACH: GREGOR TOWNSEND THE Lion is enjoying his h o n e y mo o n period as an i nternational coach. Has transferred his free-running off-loading game from Glasgow and has got the Scots playing with a real swagger. CAPTAIN: JOHN BARCLAY THE experienced Scarlets backrower has taken over the reins from Greig Laidlaw. Barclay is enjoying an international renaissance after a number of years in the wilderness. KEY MAN: STUART HOGG MADE his long-awaited comeback with a stunning try-scoring performance for Glasgow against Exeter in the Champions Cup last weekend. Provides Scotland with the ignition switch to their attacking game. ROOKIE TO WATCH: BLAIR KINGHORN THE rangy full-back has been one of the stand-out players in this season’s Guinness PRO14. Just has to find a way past Hogg, although could be utilised on the wing. STRENGTHS THERE was a real energy about the Scots in the autumn and they looked a confident group of players singing off the same page.
So often in the past, the Scots have been criticised for not possessing the try-scoring armoury behind the scrum, but in Hogg, Tommy Seymour and Huw Jones they now boast some serious weapons in the three-quarter line. Hamish Watson, alongside skipper Barclay, adds a tenacious presence at the breakdown AREAS TO TARGET THE Scotland scrum has never been a major weapon and there is a danger that their challenge will be undermined by a struggling setpiece. Finn Russell can also blow hot and cold from fly-half. KEY INJURIES THE absence of Zander Fagerson, WP Nel, Ross Ford, Allan Dell, Al Dickinson and Darryl Marfo could destabilise the Scottish set-piece. LAST TIME OUT THIRD spot represented an encouraging campaign, with victory over Ireland followed by Murrayfield triumphs against Wales and Italy. However, a capitulation at Twickenham cast a shadow. ORDER OF GAMES Wales (a), France (h), England (h), Ireland (a), Italy (a) WHAT THE COACH SAYS “WE’VE got to set high standards, high ambitions for our team. We believe in them but we also know the hard work that has to go in to make that happen.” WHAT MOOD ARE THE FANS IN? THE autumn results have provided a real buzz around Townsend’s side, expect a strong Tartan Army heading south to Cardiff for the first weekend of February. POINT TO PROVE: JONNY GRAY SECOND row was an area of strength for Warren Gatland, but Gray’s omission from the Lions tour party was still a major surprise. DID YOU KNOW? BACK-ROWER Luke Hamilton hails from Pembrokeshire and came through the academy ranks at the Scarlets, playing in the same Wales Under-20s side as Rob Evans, Samson Lee, Ellis Jenkins and Owen Williams. BOOKIES PREDICTION THE Scots are 8-1 third favourites with some bookies to win a first title since Five became Six in 2000. They are 22-1 for the Grand Slam and 11-1 for the Triple Crown. WHAT WE SAY THE opener against Wales at the Principality Stadium could be the defining match for both sides. Despite riding a wave of optimism, I’m backing Gatland’s men to edge that one, leaving the Scots coming up short again.