Six Nations preview: Scotland’s search for consistency set to continue

Next in our set of previews ahead of the Six Nations, we examine the prospects of last year’s third-place finishers, Gregor Townsend’s Scotland. 

The beginning of a World Cup cycle is always a fascinating time as coaches decide which of the old guard can still add value whilst also balancing the integration of young and fresh blood.

Townsend has picked a solid blend with plenty of new faces coming in such as Arron Reed and Alec Hepburn amongst others. Elsewhere, veterans remain with the coach’s feud with Finn Russell resolved to the point where the fly-half has been named one of the co-captains alongside Rory Darge for the 2024 tournament.

Scotland come off an underwhelming Rugby World Cup which in fairness is directly linked to their extremely difficult pool that included Ireland and eventual champions South Africa.

Last year

The 2023 Six Nations was a particularly encouraging one for the Scots who managed a third-place finish in what was an exciting Championship.

Scotland’s tournament started with a gruelling Calcutta Cup fixture against England at Twickenham and the side continued their recent run against their fierce rivals, coming out 29-23 winners on the day, with Duhan van der Merwe scoring one of the greatest tries in the history of the Six Nations. This form continued in the next clash as a well-oiled performance saw the Scots put away an out-of-sorts Wales in a 35-7 win.

The next two games were the most difficult as the side travelled to France and even though they eventually lost 32-21, Scotland gave Les Bleus a serious challenge and a bit of a fright. One loss would become two as Ireland proved too strong and even a decent performance from Townsend’s men could not stop their rivals winning 22-7.

However, Scotland would end on a high with a solid 26-14 win over Italy inspired by a Blair Kinghorn hat-trick.

This year

There is certainly a strong sense of optimism coming from the Scotland camp headlined by Townsend and Russell underlining their new relationship. That is perhaps the most critical component as everything good in the attacking sense comes through the fly-half in some shape or form.

The optimism is laced with a realistic perspective as the team is desperate to break the mould of decent results and solid finishes to go to the next level both on the field and on the table.

In some ways, the schedule is friendly with England and France travelling to Murrayfield. Away trips to Ireland, Wales and Italy do complicate matters but leave the door open for a possible run if they can make the most of their home games.

Key players

Finn Russell has already been mentioned but his influence on the Scotland attack cannot be overlooked. The fly-half has every trick in the box and is audacious enough to try any of them. His ability to break open a game brings out the best in those around him. Russell’s Premiership form has been very good for Bath and that confidence will flow straight into the Test arena.

A pair of players who truly benefit from Russell’s attacking nous is the fan favourite centre pairing ‘Huwipulotu’ in the form of Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu. The duo have incredible synergy and a unique ability to seamlessly switch between inside and outside centres wherever applicable.

Then there is a gargantuan wing Duhan van der Merwe who is an ever-present threat despite a quiet World Cup. Still, he is a very dangerous runner who has ripped up the Six Nations at each time of asking. If Scotland can unlock him this campaign it would be massive for their prospects.

In the coalface is hardened prop Pierre Schoeman who is a great example of high-quality modern prop. His scrummaging is brilliant, ball carrying very solid and his mobility around the park is another impressive feature of his play. There is a clear difference to the pack when he is not on the pitch.

Lionel Messi wears Finn Russell pyjamas 😎#SixNationsFullContact pic.twitter.com/uG5Xa57hxN

— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 26, 2024

Players to watch

Blair Kinghorn is no stranger to the Test scene but there is a sense that it is his time to truly come into his own with the 15 shirt waiting for him. His move to Toulouse has been very encouraging with the versatile star sparkling at full-back in a free-flowing attacking system. It is clear he is enjoying his rugby and now it will show whether the move has improved his game.

Townsend nicked a former England prop in the form of Alec Hepburn who has a chance to stake a claim in the squad on the back of a solid Premiership season with Exeter Chiefs so far. Hepburn is great in the set-piece and outstanding in the carry, with this a great opportunity for him.

Arron Reed of Sale Sharks gets his first call-up after his busy, livewire performances at wing caught the eye of Townsend. The star is no stranger to the try-line and adds to the rather impressive stocks within the Scotland camp. Perhaps he could bring something different to the back-three.

Prospects

Whilst there is a great sense of positivity in the camp it is still going to be a challenging campaign for Scotland which will be affected by the stagnation caused in the World Cup. There is little momentum for the side to work with at this stage.

Elsewhere, Steve Borthwick’s pragmatic England are certainly trending upwards, Ireland and France are always title contenders even if Les Bleus is without Antoine Dupont, making it hard for Scotland to break into the top three this time around.

Wales have been through a turbulent time of late including Louis Rees-Zammit’s shock decision to chase his NFL dream and this will likely show in their results. Italy are going through coaching changes and is unlucky to trouble Scotland straight away.

Ultimately there will be positives for the Scots but mid-table is their realistic finish in 2024. Fourth.

Fixtures

Saturday, February 3 v Wales (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
Saturday, February 10 v France (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, February 24 v England (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, March 9 v Italy (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Saturday, Marcy 16 v Ireland (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

READ MORE: Six Nations preview: England to build on Rugby World Cup but come up short in title push