Exeter success will pump up their Scots pair
There is always one thing that should be preached to Scotland fans – and that is optimism.
Scotland have responded well from the dark period that stuck like a shadow to the team after the World Cup to come through and finish strong in last year’s Six Nations.
It is never easy to win three games on the spin in this tournament, but Scotland achieved that feat with a road win against Wales last time out in the autumn.
Knowing his side have enough ability to match anyone, Gregor Townsend will surely re-evaluate expectations for his team heading into the 2021 tournament.
Games against England are always a ferocious battle and given the current political climate, there should be an extra element of spice to the contest – I liken it to the Holland v Germany rivalry in football.
It is strange how much harder it is to win on the road; you can label it as ‘it’s just a game of rugby’ but it is well documented how difficult it is to win away from home in the Six Nations.
I guess it will be a lot different this year without the fans. But I always loved going to the Stade de France and playing in that atmosphere. I never played at the Principality Stadium but that was always a much tougher gig for us than going to Ireland.
Playing away affected me less than others, maybe I just felt at home almost everywhere I went because I have moved so much.
Talk to any of the Harlequins players who played for England and they will say how they loved playing at Twickenham even more because it is only a stone’s throw from The Stoop, and it was exactly the same for me even though I was playing for Scotland.
Of course, if you can’t motivate yourself when it comes to playing at the Test level you simply aren’t going to cut it.
Motivation comes in many forms. Ask any Scotland player who played under Greig Laidlaw about the significance of leadership or ask Stuart Hogg and Jonny Gray what their success at Exeter Chiefs has made them want to now accomplish with Scotland.
There is no better place to be as a Scotland international than playing at Edinburgh or Glasgow under a central contract. You are incredibly well looked after; you are protected and you have close to everything you need to thrive.
That is tricky, though, because there are only two teams. You are starting to see this now at Glasgow who have become victims of their own success.
Over the last five or ten years, as they were starting to become regular contenders in the PRO14, the value of their players went up because they were playing for Scotland on the main stage.
Against the wealth of the Premiership and Top 14, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the SRU have to formulate a way to keep the national team in touch with England and France. And that is no easy feat when you are in competition with those exact leagues to keep your best players on home ground.
There then comes the argument the SRU can only pay players so much. If they let them go they have to open it up to their own advantage by bringing through young players.
It is a delicate balance because if you invest in the development of young players, they may leave when they hit their peak and then you are going to be accused of being powerless because you can’t make the conveyor belt work for you.
This is something Scotland fans seem to be well aware of because for every person bemoaning the announcement of Duhan van der Merwe leaving for Worcester on social media, there were another four or five saying ‘good luck to him’.
Who is going to argue against him, Adam Hastings, Hogg or Gray if they go and beat England and France on a regular basis?
■ Tim Visser was speaking ahead of his involvement with Legends in your Living Room. To get up close and personal with the biggest names in the game from your sofa head to: rugbytours.co.uk/legendsin-your-living-room/