Scots’ black, white, and Jonny Grays

Scotland are heading into the Six Nations Championship with the same optimism that usually strikes Caledonia in January but there are reasons to believe this bout will last longer than most examples of the past decade.

The obvious ones circle the simple fact there is more talent in the XV that will start against England tomorrow than we have seen in a Scotland side for more than a decade. Willem ‘WP’ Nel, Jonny Gray, and John Hardie have strengthened each row of the forward pack in 2015 while in Finn Russell, Mark Bennett, and Stuart Hogg, Scotland now possess attacking talents at key junctures in the back line who share a rare confidence to play what they see, and with the pace and skills to follow through.

Gray has become Glasgow captain at just 21, such is his standing at the club, demonstrated on the wallchart that lists consecutive tackles without misses. Though regularly the top tackler for the club and Scotland, the lock’s run is well past the 200-mark. Stats suggest he missed just 17 tackles in 789 for club and country. His brother Richie was viewed as the ‘great white hope’, but Jonny is even better.