Crazy to say these lads are weak mentally

Assistant coach Tandy insists Scots have plenty of heart and character

- STUART BATHGATE

STEVE TANDY insists mental toughness is not a problem for Scotland despite the fact they keep falling out of games for long stretches.

And even though the weekend defeat by Italy came just weeks after another collapse from 27-0 up nearly cost the team a win in Wales, the assistant coach reckons this squad can keep on improving.

Scotland will still win the Triple Crown for the first time since 1990 if they beat Ireland in Dublin on Saturday and in theory also have a chance of winning the Six Nations if they beat the hosts by a massive 39 points.

But after losses to France and Italy from winning positions, this season could and arguably should have been a lot more successful for Gregor Townsend's side.

Even so, Tandy believes there are still a lot of positives to take from this season's Championship. He said: "I'd never question our mental toughness.