Six Nations: Scotland breakdown
Coach: Vern Cotter
Captain: Greig Laidlaw
Old dog: Ross Ford has 103 Test caps already and knows his way to the changing room.
Young gun: Zander Fagerson is still only 21 years old, a decade off his peak, perhaps more.
Six Nations record: 6th, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 4th.
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Hide AdMissing the action: Everyone talks about WP Nel but Ally Dickinson is just as big a loss as the South African, possibly more so. He should, touch wood, be available for the middle weekend match against Wales.
Reasons to be cheerful: If the Scotland pack gets on to the front foot the back line has more threats than a Mafia wise guy and stand-off Finn Russell is oozing confidence, as well he should be.
Reasons to be fearful: The set piece, stupid, because Scotland have to make do without both their first-choice props, which has implications across the field. Nor is there much backing up Russell at stand-off, although Stuart Hogg was mooted as a potential candidate a few weeks back.
Odds: 25/1 (out from 16/1 follwing Nel’s injury)
Prediction: 3rd