Vern Cotter is satisfied that he has the strength both in his starting 15 and on the bench to go toe-to-toe with Ireland on Saturday.

We'll have plenty more from the Scotland head coach on the BBC Sport Scotland website shortly.

That's all from me for now. Thanks for joining us.

Jason makes a good point. In fact, last season was the first time in Six Nations history that Scotland scored more points than they conceded across an entire campaign.

Can they repeat that feat this season?

Good news for you Alec, he's in!

We are just about to hear from Scotland head coach Vern Cotter. 

Our man David Currie is in situ and ready to ask for the New Zealander's thinking behind his big selection calls for the Six Nations opener against Ireland.

What is striking about this team selection is the quality of those not in the starting 15.

On the bench you have a veteran of 103 caps, Ross Ford. You have Tim Swinson who is coming off back-to-back man of the match performances in the Champions Cup against Munster and Leicester. And you have John Barclay, a proven quality operator at international level.

In the backs you have Ali Price who has been making Glasgow tick in recent weeks at scrum-half, and the pace and footwork of Mark Bennett can cause even the best midfields problems.

Throw in the fact that two top quality centres - Duncan Taylor and Matt Scott - have not even made the squad and Scotland's strength in depth looks better than it has done in a very long time.

15. Stuart Hogg

14. Sean Maitland

13. Huw Jones

12. Alex Dunbar

11. Tommy Seymour

10. Finn Russell

9. Greig Laidlaw (c)

1. Allan Dell

2. Fraser Brown

3. Zander Fagerson

4. Richie Gray

5. Jonny Gray

6. Ryan Wilson

7. Hamish Watson

8. Josh Strauss

Subs: Ross Ford, Gordon Reid, Simon Berghan, Tim Swinson,John Barclay; Ali Price, Duncan Weir, Mark Bennett.

Image source, SNS

Again as expected. Stuart Hogg was the player of the tournament last season and is a leading contender for the British and Irish Lions tour in the summer, so no surprise to see him at 15.

Tommy Seymour has been sensational form for Glasgow, and Sean Maitland has been going well for Saracens. They line up on the wings.

Plenty of options at centre but probably the partnership most would have picked. Huw Jones, so impressive in the autumn, starts at 13.Alex Dunbar, who this week signed a new deal with Glasgow Warriors, is at inside centre.

No surprises here either as captain Greig Laidlaw leads the team from scrum-half, with in-form Glasgow Warriors fly-half Finn Russell outside him at 10.

No surprises in the second row as the Gray brothers, Jonny and Richie, team up once again.

In the front row confirmation that Fraser Brown starts with Zander Fagerson and Allan Dell either side.

Big news in the back-row as Josh Strauss comes in at number eight, with Ryan Wilson moving to six and Hamish Watson starting at openside.

It's a powerful back-row to combat what is a very physical Irish pack.

The team news is starting to trickle in and perhaps a couple of surprise inclusions on the bench.

John Barclay is named among the subs when many would have had him as a nailed-on starter. 

Ross Ford, a veteran of 103 caps, is also on the bench would indicate Fraser Brown gets the nod at hooker.

Tom English
Chief sports writer, BBC Scotland

In the front-row, the probability is that Cotter is going to go for the same combination that served him well in the autumn - Allan Dell, Ross Ford, Zander Fagerson. Gordon Reid's form with Glasgow has been strong but it would be a surprise if Dell lost out. Equally, Tim Swinson has been playing wonderfully for the Warriors, but he's up against Richie Gray who autumned really well.

The back-row in an interesting place. Scotland are not awash with options in the way that Ireland are - they could field three Test quality back-rows with ease. John Barclay will be in there either at six or eight. Ryan Wilson will surely be in there, too, at eight or seven. Hamish Watson is the man in possession of the seven jersey. Ireland are going to go large back there so you have to wonder what Cotter is going to do to combat it. John Barclay mentioned in an interview with BBC Scotland that he felt his team were bullied in the first 30 minutes in Dublin last year. Ireland scored 21 points in that period. 

Does he go Barclay-Wilson-Watson or, with an eye on increasing the power,  Barclay-Josh Strauss-Wilson? Watson was terrific against Australia against two world class opensides in Michael Hooper at David Pocock but Strauss offers more grunt on his best days. We'll know it all soon enough...

So what would constitute success in this Six Nations for Scotland? They won two matches last year - against France at Murrayfield and Italy in Rome - and Ryan Wilson wants to go one better this season.

"Three wins would be the minimum target this year I'd say, but we're looking to go out and win every game," Wilson said.

"Can we make a title push? Yeah, definitely.

"We're in a really good place but you think that at the start of every Six Nations.

"This time we have got some real depth in positions all across the park, especially in the centres and back row.

"It is harder than ever to get a place in this team now and I think that's what makes us a better team. Competition can only be good for individuals and we've got that."

Read more here.

Image source, SNS

Tom English
Chief sports writer, BBC Scotland

Vern Cotter is about to name his team to play Ireland on Saturday. Much of his side more or less picks itself at this stage, but there are issues in there all the same. 

Who plays in the midfield? Alex Dunbar will be at 12 but who's outside him? Huw Jones was outstanding in the autumn when scoring two tries against the Wallabies and getting the assist for the decisive try in the win against Argentina, but Jones hasn't played since then, a combination of injury and him being in the off-season with his club, the Stormers in South Africa.

Then there's Duncan Taylor of Saracens - another class act who Cotter holds in very esteem, both for the quality of his attack and his defence. Taylor is a very clever player. The problem is that since leaving the Japan tour in the summer with a hamstring injury, Taylor has hardly played for his club. He made his comeback off the bench against Exeter on January 7 but only lasted 17 minutes before exiting again with concussion. He hasn't featured in Saracens' squad since then. 

Matt Scott is also in the picture. Cotter left Scott out of the autumn games because of deficiencies in his defence. The coach said recently that the Gloucester player has made big improvements in that area in what has been an excellent season for him so far in the Premiership. Who wears 13? It all depends on who has looked the fittest and sharpest in training this week. It's a tough call.

Image source, SNS