Scotland Six Nations Preview - Jim Hamilton

This will be the first time in almost nine years that I’m not involved in a Scottish Six Nations campaign. It feels strange not being in camp, but I’m very excited and optimistic about Scotland’s chances and the direction the team is going under Vern Cotter.

In the past, for me, turning up to a Scottish six nations camp had a real ‘first day of school’ feel. This was partly due to the fact than more often than not we had a new coach in place! There was very little consistency over the years and a bit of apprehension each campaign regarding what was coming our way. This was reflected on the pitch with inconsistent performances and poor results. The team now have some continuity and strong leaders in the form of Vern Cotter and Border boy, Greg Laidlaw.

Vern’s a strict and direct coach. He’s very black and white in terms of what he wants from his team. There are no grey areas or indecision which is exactly what you need as a player. Given there’s such a short window to prepare, you need to be very specific in terms of what has to be done and Vern is excellent at achieving this. Scotland are very lucky to have a coach of his calibre and this has been reflected in the strides made over the past two years.

Expectations are rightly high in Scotland. After a successful, if somewhat heart breaking World Cup, there’s a real sense that Scotland are on the cusp of something great and can push for honours. I may be slightly biased, but I genuinely believe Scotland can go into this competition amongst the favourites. With a settled squad, plenty of experience alongside some exciting new talent, and a coach like Vern, nobody will be looking forward to playing Scotland. Not least, England.

Having England up first in Murrayfield is the ideal start. I can’t remember winning our opening fixture of the Six Nations, but playing an England team under new management is an opportunity the guys will be desperate to take advantage of. England will be nowhere near their best and Eddie Jones will need 6-12 months to get England up to speed, so if Scotland don’t win this fixture, it will be a huge blow and not bode well for future encounters with Eddie Jones’ side. It’s crucial that they make a statement in this first game and losing is not an option. Scotland are the settled squad, the form team, the home team and so should expect to win this game.

Having spoken with some of the Scottish players, there’s a great buzz and plenty of optimism in camp. The last time most of these boys walked off a pitch, it was to almost universal cheers at Twickenham. Now that doesn’t happen very often! They’re eager to get back out on the pitch and there’s no better atmosphere in Scottish rugby than a Calcutta cup game in Murrayfield. The tension will be brewing up north and this could be the start of a historic Six Nations campaign for Scottish Rugby.

Jim Hamilton

Writing on behalf of www.TheRugbyPod.com