Scotland Six Nations Team

Scotland is the fallen giant of the Six Nations Championship. Once one of the most feared and respected teams in the championship, Scotland has struggled to adapt to the professional era. It also has to draw on the smallest player reserve of any of the British teams. Nevertheless, pride occasionally coaxes great performances from the Scots, and they remain a real threat when playing at Murrayfield.

Stats:

Six Nations titles (outright): 14
Six Nations titles (shared): 8
Grand Slams: 3
First won the Six Nations: 1887
Last Six Nations title: 1999
Home ground: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Team colours: Navy Blue/Purple
Anthem: Flower of Scotland

Strengths:

Scotland’s greatest strength lies in its pack. The Scottish pack is capable of putting opposing forwards under real pressure with its strength and mobility. In recent years the pack has been relied on heavily to create tries and generate penalty opportunities.

Scotland’s strength in its forwards means that it is one of the more difficult teams to beat in wet weather, when the back-line potency of opposing teams tends to be nullified. The Scots are as good as the best in 10-man-rugby game, and can rely on the metronome-like boot of Chris Paterson to keep the score ticking over.

Weaknesses:

In their heyday the Scots were renowned for producing some of the cleanest, fastest back-line play in world rugby. Sadly those days appear to be a thing of the past, as the Scots have not fielded a world-class back-line player since the late 1990s. Their lack of penetration comes at a great cost in the Six Nations, in which the Scots are frequently unable to convert opportunities into tries.

Six Nations History:

The Scotland rugby team competed in the first ever rugby international, before going on to participate in the inaugural Home Nations Championship in 1883. During the early years of the tournament the Scots were formidable opponents, and ended England’s initial winning streak by claiming the Home Nations title in 1886 and 1887.

The Scotland rugby team entered its golden age in the tournament between 1900 and 1930, when it won nine championships, including one grand slam and four Triple Crowns. A dry patch ensued as the Scots claimed only one title between 1938 and 1964.

The Scots experienced a renaissance during the 1980s and 1990s when they captured another four titles, including two Grand Slams. Since taking their final championship win the Scots have struggled, failing to win a single title in the expanded championship.