Six Nations - Updated Standings
OVERVIEW
Little is expected of the Scots this year, but as England found out to their cost at Murrayfield in April, to underestimate Ian McGeechan’s team is foolish in the extreme.
After suffering a dreadful campaign in which they became the first team to lose to Italy, Scotland produced a performance brimming full of fire and passion to triumph 19-13 and famously deny England the Grand Slam.
Any hopes that this sweetest of victories would act as a springboard for greater success however were cruelly dashed by the harsh realities of a summer tour to New Zealand and two heavy losses to the All-Blacks.
A comprehensive 30-9 home defeat to the world champions Australia in November served to further illustrate the lengths the Scots have to make up if they are to compete with the big guns, and their present struggles are reflected in bookies odds of 25-1 to take this year’s crown.
So is there any hope for the Scots this season? Certainly it is hard to make a case for them beating either England or France away from home and even the clashes with Ireland and Wales at Murrayfield look distinctly dodgy from a Tartan point of view.
However the may be a silver lining among the clouds for fans of Ian McGeechan’s side.
The Irish have not won at Murrayfield since 1985 and on their last trip to Paris, the Scots ended a losing run stretching back to 1969 with a famous against-all-odds triumph.
With the likes of John Leslie, Chris Paterson in the backs and Scott Murray and Budge Pountey in the forwards, the Scots are certainly not short of talent and if the enigmatic Gregor Townsend enjoys one of his better seasons who knows, a shock or two could be on the cards.