Scotland: Could this be the year?

Tuipulotu’s misfortune is a grievous and perhaps fatal blow to the very real chance he had of being a big hit with Lions in his Australian homeland this summer.

SCOTLAND'S YEAR: Will the 2025 Six Nations be Scotland's year? Picture: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane AR

It’s the hope (invariably followed by crushing disappointment) that kills you. So, the triple-whammy of losing skipper Sione Tuipulotu to a freak training ground injury of his pectoral muscle, of losing dynamic second-row Scott Cummings to a broken arm, and of Glasgow Warriors – who will provide the backbone of the team during this Six Nations – suddenly going off the boil when they succumbed meekly to Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop a fortnight ago, might just be some sort of perverse blessing in disguise by bringing expectations back down to a more realistic level.

As keen as Scotland fans were to keep a lid on their optimism, old habits die hard. A combination of a settled squad packed with individuals who should be in the prime of their career, a generally positive (although not sensational) November, and their rivals going through a transitional period, meant that we found ourselves once again hurtling towards northern hemisphere rugby’s premier international tournament thinking maybe … just maybe …