Scotland send out warning to rivals ahead of Six Nations run-in
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend celebrates the Calcutta Cup win with some of his players at Murrayfield.
Although his team have made a solid start to their Six Nations campaign, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is yearning for them to kick on and reach optimum performance levels in their last two matches.
With away games against Italy and table-topping Ireland set to take place, Townsend is desperate for a strong run-in from his troops as they aim to clinch their first top-two finish in the Six Nations era.
The Scots are currently in second position in the standings after notching victories over Wales and England while also suffering a controversial defeat to France, but Townsend believes his side have not played to their full potential consistently yet.
‘Happy-ish’ with Scots’ campaign
“Happy-ish,” he said, reflecting on the campaign so far. “You’ve obviously got to be delighted for the team to beat England and retain the Calcutta Cup.
“But in terms of performance, we’re a little bit away from what we know we can deliver. The first 45 minutes against Wales is probably still the best we’ve played.
“We had elements of control throughout much of the France game and for the last 60 minutes of the England game. But there’s still a lot more to come from us.
“We’re delighted with how the guys trained yesterday, a real physical session. The non-23 trained really well and really tested us. So the guys are in a good position to deliver their best performances over the next two weeks. That’s all we’re working towards.”
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Scotland are aware that even if they beat the Azzurri in Rome on Saturday, it may not be enough to prevent Ireland from clinching the championship if they beat England later in the day.
If the men from the Emerald Isle suffer a defeat against the Red Rose, it could pave the way for a last weekend title shootout between Ireland and Scotland in Dublin.
“We can only do what we have to do this weekend which is deliver a winning performance and see where we are after that,” said Townsend.
“We’re the first game so I’m sure we’ll be watching the other game with interest.
“We’re into the last two rounds of the championship still in the mix, although it’s an outside chance for the championship. There’s a lot to play for this weekend and again in Dublin.”
Unsure about Scotland’s progress
Although Scotland won the last Five Nations championship in 1999, they are yet to finish higher than second in the Six Nations era and when Townsend was asked if a runners-up spot would represent a good outcome for his team, he said: “I don’t know. Anything to build on what we’ve done in the last few years would be an improvement.
“We’re focused on the performance and we know that at times it’s been better since the World Cup and last year’s Six Nations but still not where we believe this team can be.”
