Six Nations: This is a great chance for Scotland to prove they are third force

Against Ireland, of course it was a disappointment, all the more so because the first half was so good, with honours even, and , given how well we had played against England and France after the interval, I was more than hopeful of victory.

If the falling off was unexpected, that was surely to Ireland’s credit. Rather a lot has been made of their injuries and the need for replacements, while there has been little mention of the difference Richie Gray’s early departure may have made. The departure of Ireland’s hooker and then his replacement made little difference , none really to the set scrum. Given that hookers no longer hook, any sturdy prop should have little difficulty in moving to the middle of the front row.

Our claim to be by some way the third best team in the tournament will be valid if we beat the improving Italy whose performances have been better than their results. It’s a bit worrying that, without Finn Russell we have no one who kicks goals regularly for his club. This is one area where Italy surely have the advantage.Moreover, while Scotland – and indeed Glasgow and Edinburgh – have tended to spurn opportunities to kick penalty goals, Italy , like France, seem to reckon that an 80 per cent chance of three points from a penalty is better odds than a 60 per cent chance of a try from a rolling maul.