The Six Nations trophy finally made its way to Edinburgh for the tournament launch, an event that required Scotland hosting the prestigious competition to bring the silverware to the capital city for what many suspect will be its sole visit this year.
A Glitzy Affair on the Royal Mile
Following the pattern of most contemporary major sporting events, this was a polished occasion held within The Hub, the converted church situated on Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile. The venue sits just what might be described as a spiralling Finn Russell 50:22 kick away from the city's iconic castle. Now primarily serving as the ticket office for the Edinburgh Festival, The Hub welcomed performers of a different variety yesterday as head coaches and captains from all six participating nations were ushered in to address assembled broadcasters, print journalists, and the now ever-present digital influencers.
For those in the spotlight, the media obligations appeared more a duty to be endured than enjoyed. Most would likely have preferred to be out on the training ground with their players or teammates, with the championship set to commence in under ten days' time.
Townsend's Home Comforts
Nevertheless, for the Scottish duo of head coach Gregor Townsend and captain Sione Tuipulotu, the journey to the launch venue proved significantly less taxing than in previous years when the event was held elsewhere. "The biggest thing I've learnt is how great it is to finally have the launch in Edinburgh," remarked Townsend, who is preparing to guide Scotland into the competition for a ninth occasion. "It's definitely made me more relaxed."
Whether that composed demeanour will persist come Scotland's opening fixture away to Italy this Saturday week remains to be seen. The team's persistent struggles throughout 2025, including a particularly embarrassing autumn capitulation to Argentina, have at least had the effect of substantially lowering external expectations that Scotland could be genuine Six Nations title contenders.
Diminished Expectations and Internal Focus
If Townsend's squad entered previous tournaments labelled as "dark horses" or "ones to watch," few are making such proclamations now. The current perception suggests a team more likely to be contesting the lower reaches of the table with Italy and Wales, rather than challenging the established powerhouses of Ireland, England, and France for the championship.
Townsend refuted the notion that his team had ever been viewed as serious title aspirants in years gone by. He stated his team would simply concentrate on their own path, blocking out external noise and expectations, while hoping to harness the imperious form of Glasgow Warriors and have it translate to the national side.
"I wouldn't have thought people would have talked about us like that [as challengers] before either," he insisted. "It wouldn't really be a factor. I can't speak on behalf of the players whether they would have read into it now or read into it before. We have started tournaments well by really putting the focus on ourselves. We have to do that again."
Building on Experience and Cohesion
Townsend elaborated on the lessons learned from his previous campaigns. "I think I understand the flow of the tournament [better now]. The first two or three campaigns, we didn't win our first game. We struggled to win away. We struggled to beat England. We've learnt the things that have worked for us in those games and tournaments."
He highlighted the growing leadership within the player group and the value of accumulated experience. "How the players now will lead and drive a lot of who we are. Because those players have had a lot of experience together. The core of our group have had the last three or four seasons together. You build on elements of cohesion that you can find."
He pointed specifically to the synergy with Glasgow Warriors. "There's cohesion obviously with how Glasgow are playing, and you look at how you can help your preparations by building on what they are doing. Whether that's through selection or building on things that they've done. We don't have to reinvent things when they come in here."
Ongoing Side Issues and Pressing Concerns
The controversy surrounding Townsend's decision to undertake a second role with Red Bull last summer—a move approved by Scottish Rugby—may have subsided, but it remains a pertinent topic. It was revealed only last week that Gavin Vaughan, the Scotland national team lead analyst and a long-time trusted associate of Townsend, will depart in the summer for a similar position with Newcastle Red Bulls.
Townsend asserted that this had not been his decision, but acknowledged the perception challenges. "They [Newcastle] told me that they've interviewed two or three people. One was a clear candidate. Then it was down for Gav to deal with Scottish Rugby. If someone wants to go for another job, then you wish them all the best."
More immediately pressing for Townsend is a potential crisis at hooker. Neither Dave Cherry nor Ewan Ashman were deemed fit enough to play for their respective clubs this past weekend. Glasgow's Gregor Hiddleston would seem the next option if required, but Townsend expressed hope his original selections would recover in time for the trip to Rome.
"Dave had a little calf strain," he disclosed. "He's had a scan and nothing came out of it. I think he's going to have further investigation today, but he's confident he'll be okay. Ewan had a couple of scans last week, with no issues [identified]. We don't have any concerns after this week, but we might have to do something different with our training numbers this week. It's obviously important we get the preparation right."
