AN assessment of where Scotland and England are after the autumn series, with another Calcutta Cup clash to come at Twickenham in the middle of the Six Nations, is an interesting comparison. It's made even more pointed by competition for places on the 2025 Lions tour.
Scotland's comprehensive victory over Australia last weekend, which derailed the Wallabies' Grand Slam tour hopes - and a further win over Fiji, plus a battling performance against South Africa - has seen them emerge in better shape than England.
Scotland's record of having won five, lost one and drawn one of the last seven Six Nations encounters with England - including two wins and a draw at Twickenham - is another feelgood factor, with the trip south of the border no longer the daunting prospect it was.
However, while I want to get excited about Scottish rugby, I've learned over 20 years or more to take a breath, and to see how it goes. Scotland have had times when they have beaten France or England, but then they usually undo it by losing to Wales or Italy.
My reservation is not so much in Scotland's all-round ability, but whether they can be consistent enough to win four games in the Six Nations - because that would be a vast step up.
The 1990 Grand Slam team was one of Scotland's best - and there was a follow-through from that into the Lions tours of 1989 and 1993, when I played alongside players of true quality like the Hastings brothers, Finlay Calder, Derek White and John Jeffrey.
Since then, the Scottish representation in Lions Test teams has shrunk, and it has coincided with them usually only ever winning two or three of their Six Nations fixtures. In addition, they have not made the World Cup semi-finals since 1991 - although with South Africa and Ireland in their 2023 World Cup pool their lack of further progress was understandable.
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Denne historien er fra December 01, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Edwards gives Gatland a little to think about
A TERRIFIC effort from Ospreys should have seen victory and it was rough justice that high-flying Cardiff escaped with an undeserved draw.
Cowan-Dickie: I'm back and buzzing
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Clow keeps Rams in touch at the top
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Powell powers over to take Quins home
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Hathaway can follow Zam Skivington
GEORGE Skivington has backed Josh Hathaway to continue to go from strength to strength as the young winger attempts to follow in the slipstream of Louis Rees-Zammit and be a big hit for club and country.
Hybrid Hash will tie Borthwick in knots
THE description 'Hybrid Central Contracts' does not inspire confidence. Hybrid usually means a bit of this, and a bit of that — and 'Hybrid Hash' would be a more apt term for the RFU contracts given to 17 England players just before the autumn series slump.
Quins leave it late to power past Falcons
MARCUS Smith showed his class on Friday night, being an imperious creator and finisher as Harlequins romped to an emphatic five-try victory on Tyneside.
We need to see a complete shake-up
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Cool McBryde steals it for RGC
BILLY McBryde held his nerve to land a last kick of the match conversion to snatch a stunning 4139 win for RGC over leaders Ebbw Vale at Parc Eirias.
Century of highs for La Rochelle
AN IMPRESSIVE milestone at Stade Marcel Deflandre was reached last night, where La Rochelle hosted their 100th sell-out match in a row – either side of the period of pandemic restrictions – a run stretching back to January 2, 2016.
