Scotland set to improve in Six Nations

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

Scotland head into this year’s tournament with plenty of confidence in their ranks as they have shown signs of improvement during the past year, after they were in the doldrums following a horrendous 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign.

Head coach Townsend has found the right balance between a solid pack of forwards and a brilliant attacking backline, and they employ an expansive game-plan in which quick, clean ball – especially from the breakdowns – is vital in helping them implementing their style of play.

Adding to that, Townsend put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension until the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France which will provide continuity and solidity to the team as the new deal means he will become Scotland’s longest serving head coach of the professional era.

Several of their players will be aiming to continue where they left off in 2020, especially with places for the British & Irish Lions series against South Africa – which is set to take place later in year – up for grabs.

Last year

Scotland’s preparations for the 2020 Six Nations were rocked when star fly-half Finn Russell was ousted from the squad ahead of the tournament’s start due to a ‘breach of team protocol.’ Although Scotland’s management tried to downplay it, Russell’s departure proved disruptive and they battled to build momentum during the tournament’s early rounds with Adam Hastings slotting in as his replacement at fly-half.

Their campaign kicked off against Ireland in Dublin and, although they were competitive throughout, they suffered a 19-12 defeat with the big talking point after the match being a costly error from Scotland full-back and captain Stuart Hogg, who lost concentration while crossing Ireland’s try-line and dropped the ball just inches from the turf without an opponent in sight.

Their next match was an arm wrestle against England at Murrayfield and they came up short again – in atrocious weather conditions with heavy rain and a strong wind prominent throughout – as their opponents clinched a 13-6 triumph to regain the Calcutta Cup.

After that poor start, things could only get better and it certainly did as they bounced back with a 17-0 victory over Italy in Rome before trouncing France (28-17) at Murrayfield and beating Wales (14-10) at Parc y Scarlets, which meant they finished in fourth position on the table.

This year

With three home matches, the Scots will fancy their chances of improving on last year’s efforts. Their opening match, against England at Twickenham, is probably also their most important one as it could set the tone for how Scotland perform during the rest of the tournament. The visitors have a difficult task, however, as they haven’t won the Calcutta Cup at Twickenham since 1983.

They then head to Murrayfield where they go up against Wales and, after beating Wayne Pivac’s struggling side in last year’s corresponding fixture, they will be confident of repeating that result in their own backyard.

Scotland then head to Paris where they face a daunting task against France, who are the tournament’s most improved side, although the Scots will be highly motivated to cause an upset as they have not won against Les Bleus on French soil since 1999.

Scotland will finish their campaign with two fixtures at Murrayfield, against Ireland and Italy. The Irish game will obviously be the tougher assignment and despite playing at home Scotland will have to be at their best as Ireland have won the last five Tests between these sides, with the Scots last tasting victory in 2017.

Although they can expect a tough challenge from perennial strugglers Italy in their final match – especially during the early stages of that encounter – Townsend’s charges should cruise to victory to end their campaign on a high.

Key players

If Scotland want to kick on from last year’s overall performance then much will depend on their forward effort and it all starts in the front-row where Rory Sutherland has caught the eye with several outstanding performances over the past 18 months. The Edinburgh strongman was arguably the best loosehead prop on display in last year’s Six Nations with his physicality and dominance at scrum-time giving him an edge in the set-piece. He also impressed in the loose and is also willing to put his body on the line in defence with some big tackles.

Once again, they will rely heavily on experienced players like their captain and full-back Hogg and fly-half Russell to lead the charge and, in doing so, give direction to the team.

Hogg is in a rich vein of form and comes into the tournament full of confidence after playing a leading role for his club, Exeter Chiefs, during their triumphant Premiership and Champions Cup campaigns. A brilliant counter-attacker, Hogg is an X-factor player, who has the ability to change the course of the match with a moment of brilliance and, as the team’s skipper, he will be determined to lead from the front in the Six Nations.

Meanwhile, Russell will not lack in motivation after he missed last year’s tournament following his much publicised disciplinary issues. Russell possesses a brilliant skill-set and his playmaking ability will be crucial to the Scottish cause. If his forwards can provide him with good front-foot ball, he should dictate proceedings and when that happens Scotland should be victorious.

Players to watch

Much has been said and written about Bath centre Cameron Redpath after he opted to play for Scotland instead of England but despite all the hype, the centre will definitely bolster the Scots’ backline stocks. Although he represented England’s U18 and U20 sides, Redpath is no stranger to Scottish ranks as he also represented the country at U18 level. A brilliant attacker, Redpath can play at fly-half and full-back but it’s at centre where he will be hoping to make his Test debut and when he does, don’t be surprised if he makes a big impact.

Also keep an eye on back-row duo Hamish Watson and Jamie Ritchie as well as flyer Duhan van der Merwe who have all caught the eye with impressive performances in the international arena during 2020.

Watson has cemented his place in Scotland’s starting line-up with his ball carrying and breakdown work particularly impressive, and he works well in tandem with Ritchie in the latter department. Although Ritchie is not as good as Watson on attack, he is outstanding on defence and on the ground. He also brings a hard edge to Scotland’s game and his partnership with Watson is one of the team’s strengths.

One man who has taken to the Test arena like the proverbial duck to water is Van der Merwe, who has already scored three tries in five internationals since his debut against Georgia last October. The Worcester Warriors-bound wing has been one of the Scottish game’s brightest stars since joining Edinburgh from Montpellier in 2017 with his try-scoring exploits particularly impressive. Apart from his finishing ability, the 25-year-old possesses plenty of pace and power, attributes which he uses to create opportunities for his team-mates.

Prospects

The Scots know that to challenge for the title they have to deliver competitive performances against the defending champions, England, and fellow tournament favourites France.

Beating the defending champions and Les Bleus are always tough assignments but with those games being played at Twickenham and the Stade de France respectively, we feel that Scotland will finish on the losing side on both occasions, especially considering their poor records at both those venues for several years now.

If they can pick up bonus points in those away fixtures, they should improve on last year’s fourth-placed finish as we expect them to win all three of their home matches in the competition. Third place.

Fixtures

Saturday, February 6 v England (Twickenham)
Saturday, February 13 v Wales (Murrayfield)
Sunday, February 28 v France (Stade de France)
Sunday, March 14 v Ireland (Murrayfield)
Saturday, March 20 v Italy (Murrayfield)

 

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