SIX NATIONS : SCOTLAND
SCOTLAND
There has been a feeling that this Scotland side has been on the verge of making a breakthrough for a while with much improved performances in recent times . This 6 Nations tournament has been the one where they have realised that potential and proven themselves to be a team on the up .
Their first match saw them take on Ireland and , in a one of the games of the tournament so far they came away winners 27-22 . It was a fantastic result for the Scottish side , highlighting the progress they have made and giving them a real opportunity to be a major player in this year ’ s competition .
In Round 2 , they took on France and were involved in another incredibly tight struggle . France have also improved over the past year and were able to edge the match 22-16 but there were still plenty of positives for Scotland to take from the match .
Perhaps their best result and performance came in Round 3 when they proved to be too strong for Wales , coming away with an impressive victory by 29-13 . This was one of the side ’ s most impressive performances in recent times and highlighted the fact that they are no longer annual competitors for the wooden spoon .
One of the most impressive things about this Scottish side ’ s turnaround has been the entertaining brand of rugby that they have been producing with Stuart Hogg in particular thriving . This in turn has led to the atmosphere at their home matches improving significantly and no side will have an easy match when paying them a visit .
The real blemish of the tournament came when they were overwhelmed by England this week at Twickenham . Suffering from an early yellow card they were never able to gain a foothold in the match and were eventually defeated 61-21 .
This result should not take away from the progress that this side has made in recent times however and a good result against Italy in their final match will leave them with three victories and a chance of securing second place . They would certainly have taken this coming into the tournament and can reflect on a competition where their results have matched their potential .
The defeat to England highlights the fact that they still have a lot of work to do but it may just be that they learn a lot from that defeat and become a stronger side as a result . www . rugbyclub . biz 31