How they line up

Scotland: Stuart Hogg; Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Tommy Seymour; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson; Richie Gray, Jonny Gray; Ryan Wilson, Hamish Watson, Josh Strauss. Replacements: Ross Ford, Gordon Reid, Simon Berghan, Tim Swinson, John Barclay, Ali Price, Duncan Weir, Mark Bennett. play your own game. Ross and I have been in squads together for a long time. It’s not a you-versus-them thing: it’s constant dialogue. Because we’re trying to make the team better as a whole, and the only way we can do that is by helping each other.”

But even as the elder statesman in the starting front row with Allan Dell and Zander Fagerson, the responsibility is collective, he adds.

“Nothing technically changes at this level you’ve just got to be able to get the mindset right to go into a game of this magnitude, especially at the start of the competition,” he continued.

“Everyone knows that in the Six Nations you need to start well because it’s really difficult to come back if you get a slow start.

“So it’s really important that from the very first game, and for us the very first 20 minutes, that we’re in the right place.

“The same responsibility is shared across everyone in the team; everyone has their job to do. We all have the same responsibility.”

That may be so, but there’s definite added pressure on the young front row, with all three players who gave Scotland such a stable foundation from the 2015 World Cup through to the end of last season absent.

Ireland will be the first to test their mettle after the perception was the Scots buckled but didn’t wholly bend in the scrum in the autumn.

Zander Fagerson has advanced huge strides even in the intervening two months, but that’s not going to stop every team in the championship targeting Scotland’s scrummage.

There’s no question the Scots have firepower behind the pack with Finn Russell at the very peak of his powers, Stuart Hogg a dazzling counter-attacker and Tommy Seymour a magnificent finisher to name but three.

But the question remains whether the set-piece, scrummage and lineout, will win enough ball against the formidable Irish pack to provide Russell with enough ammunition to launch Scotland to a win.

Meanwhile, Scotland U20s were edged out in an enthralling encounter against Ireland at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld, last night, losing 19-20 after the visitors scored a late try.

Debutant Cameron Hutchison grabbed a first-half try for the young Scots, converted by Josh Henderson, who went on to convert four penalties.