Scotland must step up, says Tommy Seymour

Tommy Seymour admits Scotland are fed-up of being written off as the RBS 6 Nations’ "valiant losers".

For all that Vern Cotter’s side have shown signs of progress in their first two matches of this year’s championships, they have nothing to show for it. The Scots scored the only try of the match in their Paris opener with France but went down 15-8 after giving away a glut of penalties.

And Finn Russell’s yellow card a week later against Wales handed the initiative to the Murrayfield visitors as they clung on for a 26-23 victory.

Scotland now host Italy in Edinburgh today and know a repeat of those kind of mistakes will leave them staring at their fourth Wooden Spoon in the last 11 years. But Seymour is tired of being cast among the also-rans and insists the Scots are ready to take responsibility for their errors by using the disappointment to spur themselves on to greater heights.

The 26-year-old wing – back in Cotter’s line-up after an early hip injury forced him out of the Stade de France defeat – said: “Since we have started this new reign with Vern, we have drawn a line in the sand. We have to leave everything that happened before behind and create a sense of responsibility among the players to be harder on ourselves.

“We have to go out and perform the way people expect of us. It’s no good being valiant losers.”

Italy will fancy their chances against Cotter’s side. In the 15 years since they were introduced to the Six Nations, the Azzurri have managed just 11 wins – six of them against the Scots. They would have had another last year in Rome had it not been for Duncan Weir’s last-gasp drop goal.

Jacques Brunel’s side have already shown this year they are a team on the rise after running in three scores against England.

It is a different story at Guiness Pro12 level, however. While Glasgow currently lead the way with Edinburgh comfortably placed in mid-table chasing a play-off spot, the Italian representatives Zebre and Benetton Treviso are propping up the rest of the sides. Seymour, though, insists their club sides will offer little clue as to how the national team will perform.

“When you unite anyone under a country’s flag it gives them a real drive and a focus,” he said. “You are playing for your country, your family and your land if you want to be romantic about it. It is incredibly special and drives emotion, so it’s no surprise when the likes of the Italians – who are so proud – come out and show that national passion.

“Okay, you can look at the Italian teams in the Pro12 and see they haven’t done that well. But they are big guys and will be hard to break down. They don’t fold quickly.”