The chance has arrived at last for Scotland. Decades in the waiting, decades largely made up of frustration, false dawns and fatalism. A string of coaches – Matt Williams and Frank Hadden, Andy Robinson, Scott Johnson and Vern Cotter – counted in and counted out again.
Cotter took Scotland forward but it is Gregor Townsend, in his ninth Six Nations, who has finally led them to their most significant championship game since the boys of 1999 won the title.
Silverware is on the line in the shape of a Triple Crown. Maybe a championship, too, but that’s more complicated, more distant when France are still the hot favourites to clinch it despite what Scotland did to them last weekend.
In the modern game, the Triple Crown doesn’t mean as much as it used to, not to the nations who are used to winning it, that is. To Scotland, it would be rugby paradise, the promised land they’ve been desperate to reach.
Saturday in Dublin is about so many things – an end to 11 defeats in a row against Ireland, a fourth win in the championship for the first time, a second-place finish also for the first time, a first Triple Crown since 1990 and what would only be a third since 1938. Ireland have won eight in the Six Nations era alone.
Scotland’s Rocky Road to Dublin
Given everything that has happened – the tries, the wins, the new-found hope, the imminent tilt at history – Rome seems like an age ago.
In reality, come Saturday, it will be 35 days since Scotland found misery in the monsoon at the Olimpico, but in every other way it feels like months.
Scotland have not won a title since the 1999 Five Nations.
From there to here has been a wild ride. In Rome – a weak mentality, a dominated scrum, a broken lineout, a defeated demeanour, an endgame of 29 forlorn phases in the rain. Townsend Out!
Then, England – 17-0 after 14 minutes. Finn Russell’s genius, Huw Jones’ opportunism, Matt Fagerson’s charge down, Kyle Steyn’s relentless class. A bonus-point win and momentum.
In Wales – a bigger test in a maelstrom and a test passed. In years gone by, Scotland would not have come back from 20-5 down in a game of that intensity. This was new – and interesting.
France Victory Highlights Scottish Resolve
Now, France. The poster boys of European if not world rugby.
Before the deluge of Scottish tries there was another examination of Scotland’s resolve. France led 14-7 and were beginning to go through the gears.
Scotland ran them off the road. Forty unanswered points was a jaw-dropping illustration of how viciously brilliant they can be, which has never been in question, but also their power and their ability to keep going for
- Stand-off Finn Russell and centre Sione Tuipulotu form a world-class midfield axis
- Three Scotland changes for key visit to Ireland
How do Scots beat ‘nemesis’ Ireland for first time in 12 meetings?
‘We have been to hell and back to be contenders’