Six Nations: Scotland must believe they can win, says captain Sioni Tuipulotu

With the national team achieving some big one-off victories in recent years, Glasgow winning the URC title in 2024, and a sharp rise in the number of Scots selected for the past two British and Irish Lions tours, hopes have been rising that the long wait for a Six Nations title could be ended.

Scotland and the Prospects tend to be uncomfortable partners, and five big performances to put them in contention have proven to be a bridge too far for this team under Townsend.

The smart money is on the French, Irish or English for the trophy after all is said and done, but Tuipulotu believes it might not be so bad for Scotland if all eyes are elsewhere when looking for potential champions.

He said, “These teams deserve the responsibility and perhaps the pressure to be the most likely candidates for the tournament.”

“[For us] I think it just means history. I just want to motivate the boys with that – you can leave your name etched in Scottish rugby history and that has to be the aim, that’s why we play. It is important that we bear this responsibility.

“That’s the big picture. The smaller picture is that the World Cup is a year and a half away and it’s important to show progress on what we’ve been building towards.

“So the big goal is to touch the cup for the first time and the small goal I think is to show the progress from the fall and from the last six nations.”