Six Nations 2018: Time for Scotland to prove the autumn wasn't another false dawn as defence comes to the fore

Scotland's ability to score tries has been much lauded but they are yet to prove that they can stop conceding them

Gregor Townsend's Scotland have concerns at prop and in defence but have the potential to beat all comers (Getty)

Scotland have risen to so many Six Nations false dawns that when the curtain is drawn on this year’s tournament the cautious among their supporters could be forgiven for staying in bed.

Alongside losing in Cardiff, where Gregor Townsend’s side begin, it has become a Scottish tradition that an encouraging autumn is succeeded by a damp-squib spring. Scotland have had few better autumns than 2017, culminating in that 50-point Wallaby walloping.

They have fielded few backlines with attacking talent to match the one that will take the field in the Millennium Stadium – Scotland will score tries over the next couple of months. They bring with them the confidence of home and away wins over Australia and a best performance against the All Blacks for three decades. There is plenty to put a spring in Scottish steps.

But it has to come with a note of caution, one that begins with the word ‘Fiji.’ Days after winning in Australia – the sort of victory Warren Gatland had doubted Scotland’s ability to achieve – they lost in Suva.

Next on the note, with a due nod to Gatland, would be Scotland’s dire record on the road in the Six Nations. They have not won in Cardiff since 2002, when Townsend was on the field and Bill McLaren in the commentary box. Then there is the make-up of the front row; Scotland are missing six props and that is sure to hurt over the demanding Six Nations schedule. And finally there is defence.

Scotland leaked 12 tries (against 16 scored) in three autumn internationals, five to Samoa. At their training base west of Edinburgh this week defence has been “our No 1 priority right through the team,” said Townsend. It explains the selection of Chris Harris at outside-centre in a new-look pairing with Huw Jones.

The goal is to face England at Murrayfield in three weeks with two wins out of two, a home fixture with France following Wales, and there is reason for genuine excitement over what Scotland might achieve under Townsend’s stewardship (with another nod here to Vern Cotter’s groundwork).

There’s Jones’s dancing feet for one, the quick hands and bold mind of Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg’s chance, given an injury-free run, to show once and for all why he is the best attacking 15 in world rugby. Up front Jonny Gray is maturing from a workhorse who never misses a tackle to a towering figure who can influence a game’s direction and in the back row Hamish Watson is an under-rated openside. No home nation managed more turnovers than Scotland over the course of the autumn internationals.

Under Townsend’s organised chaos the ability of Gray, Watson and John Barclay to hand Ali Price quick ball will be one of the keys to Scotland’s hopes of truly being a Six Nations contender, another will be stability at the set-piece – look for how quickly Scotland like to get the set-piece done and dusted. Townsend is pitching himself against three coaches in Eddie Jones, Gatland and Joe Schmidt who share ‘Canny’ as a middle name. It’s the biggest test of his coaching career, one he will relish and so should Scotland’s supporters, even the cautious among them.