The view from Scotland: Gnawing doubt about an 80-minute performance remains

Scotland will go into Sunday's clash against Ireland at Murrayfield in an optimistic frame of mind — and perhaps with better cause than on those previous occasions of the recent past

Stuart Hogg has taken his game to the next level since leaving Glasgow Warriors. Unlike the Irish players  on central contracts, Scotland wave off their top talent to England and France, writes David Barnes

We hear that the natives are getting restless across in Ireland at the general direction of travel of the national rugby team.

We recognise that losing the first two rounds of this year’s championship represents their worst start to a Six Nations since 1998, and that their most recent ‘golden generation’ of players seem to have reached the end of the road.