Scottish Rugby

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Former Scotland's Sevens captain Colin Gregor believes Gregor Townsend should be disappointed after the loss in Dublin, rather than proud.

The Scotland head coach praised his side after the 7-13 defeat against Ireland.

"You just want him to be disappointed," Gregor told BBC Radio Scotland. "It's still a loss. Is he proud because he was expecting to get cuffed?

"I can understand why he's saying it, but is that the benchmark? Just to give them a game? That wasn't a good Ireland team. That wasn't a good Scotland performance.

"Yes, there was backs-against-the-wall defence, but the basic errors in attack, the things that were in their control they didn't do all that well. The over-riding sense for me is still frustration. Their attack needs a whole heap of work."

Former Scotland prop Peter Wright added it has been a "very inconsistent championship" for Townsend's side.

"Scotland should have beat France, Italy was disappointing, and when Gregor actually watches this game back, he'll be disappointed," Wright said.

"He'll reflect on the words he said. Be proud of the defensive effort, but that was an Ireland team that was misfiring. Scotland were still in the game because Ireland didn't take chances.

"It's what could have been for Scotland. Overall, a disappointing Six Nations."

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Scotland forward Andy Christie spoke after the 17-13 Six Nations loss against Ireland.

On the game:

“It was a tough, hard-fought game. Fair play to Ireland, I think they’re probably deserved winners in the end. We’re disappointed in the end that we didn’t come out on the right side of the result but couldn’t be prouder of the boys and their efforts.”

“It just shows the amount of pride that the boys have in the jersey. That’s something we spoke about before the game, just being focused on doing our jobs and sometimes your job can be camping on your line and trying to keep the other team out. I’m so proud of the boys.”

How much have you enjoyed breaking into the team this Six Nations?

“I’ve loved playing for this country, I love wearing the jersey. Disappointed it’s ended how it has without the win, but I’m so proud and I think I’ll look back on this Six Nations with fond memories.”

What might have been in this campaign?

“We can always talk about coulda, shoulda, woulda. I think the boys probably need some time now to reflect, but I do think this is a group that’s growing. I’m proud of the efforts.

“There’s definitely areas we need to grow but I think the togetherness we’ve shown through this campaign, some things that probably aren’t seen from the outside but you feel it on the inside, it’s a group I love being a part of.”

What does this team need to add to become contenders?

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily about adding, I think it’s just about doing more of what we do well. At times you’ve seen - that win against England, that first half against Wales, at times against France and even times against Ireland - how good of an outfit we can be.

“It’s just about being a bit more consistent in doing the things we’re good at well, doing them over 80 minutes. If we perform like that every week then we’ll probably come out on the right side of a lot more results. We’ve taken a lot today that we can be confident with and I think this group is growing so hopefully we can show that going forward.”

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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend told BBC Radio Scotland he's "really proud" of his players after a "tough" clash in Ireland.

The hosts were 17-13 winners on the final day of the Six Nations, despite a strong defensive performance from the visitors.

"I feel really proud of the players, all 23, the effort they put in today in one of the toughest environments to play in," Townsend said.

"They fronted up in the first half, very physical, and at times created opportunities to pressure Ireland. We know we could have done better in the third quarter, but I'm so proud of the effort at the end.

"To score that try and then look like we might score another try, that's all you can ask from your team. You could see the fitness of our players and the impact of our bench.

"We tried at the end, and it's a shame we couldn't get through a few more phases. Our forwards did really well, Stafford McDowall carried hard at times. We probably didn't get the rewards in the first half.

"It was a very close test match until we got a man in the bin, but I'm so proud of the guys."

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Scrum-half Caity Mattinson says it is "exciting there is a viable pathway" in Scotland now for women’s professional rugby, and hopes it will eventually lead to players returning north to play their club rugby.

The 27-year-old played two games with Edinburgh in the Celtic Challenge and was glad of the opportunity after limited game time at Gloucester.

“I can’t see people coming back next year, because it’s pre-World Cup,” Mattinson admitted. “But I would expect after that you’ll start to see a lot of people playing their club rugby up here which is exciting. That’s a cool thing to look forward to, I’d say.

“It’s exciting that that is a viable pathway option now, and potentially moving forward that we can start to come back to Scotland to play our club rugby at some point. That would be really nice.”

The scrum-half has been instrumental in Scotland’s winning form after a long line of defeats.

The success of the Scottish side has boosted popularity of the women’s game, with over 5000 tickets sold so far for the home game against England.

“I’m really proud of being involved in that [successful form],” Mattinson said. “From the outside it was probably really easy to be like ‘Scotland are doing really badly’ and being quite pessimistic about it. But I’ve always had full confidence in this group - it’s a really hard-working and really lovely group of people.

“Even though it was definitely tough, we pulled together rather than apart, and I think that’s probably why we have gone on to have a very successful run.

“Wales [the Six Nations opener] is always a big game for us. There is no need for us to hype that up emotionally. That is the game that everybody wants to win.

“There definitely is more interest in the game, which is super-exciting. It definitely feels there’s a real buzz and excitement around the squad from a wider perspective now, which is cool.”

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Scotland co-captain Finn Russell insists Scotland "will get better" after their 17-13 defeat in Dublin.

"We were really good in phases again, but we gifted them the try in the first half. It sums up this campaign for us - up and down," the 31-year-old told ITV.

"We need to get a lot better mentally for next year's campaign because we can't afford to be up and down. We will get better, but it's tough.

"Ireland are the team to beat. In my opinion they are the best team in the world. The boys stood up today with a performance to be proud of."

We want to hear your thoughts after Scotland's Six Nations campaign ended with defeat in Dublin.

How do you assess the championship as a whole, and where do Scotland go from here?

Have your say here.

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Ireland head coach Andy Farrell thinks Scotland pose a serious danger to Ireland's chances of winning the Six Nations title as they to break a 34-year Triple Crown drought.

The defending champions will hold onto their title on Saturday night if they can either avoid losing to the Scots or earn two bonus points for losing.

The visitors, who have the slimmest chance of winning the championship, will be itching to get back to full strength in Dublin following their humiliation at the hands of Italy the previous weekend.

“They’ve been consistent at beating big teams over the years and playing a brand of rugby that’s been great for everyone to see,” Farrell said.

“When you’re disappointed, all you want is an opportunity where there’s a trophy on the line.

“And I know that as far as the Triple Crown is concerned, they’ve not won that for some time now and that makes them dangerous in our view. We’ve got to be ready for them to be as good as they’ve ever been against us.”

“We’ve been lucky enough over the last few years to get on the right side of victory against Scotland,” said Farrell. “But they’ve been tough, tough battles and hard-fought games, and you’ve got to be on point to make sure you continue in that manner.”

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Scotland co-captain Rory Darge believes defeat to Italy last weekend has spurred the team on to right the wrongs but isn't underestimating the challenge of trying to get a win in Dublin.

“It is going to be a tough challenge," the flanker said. "Ireland are, if not the best team in the world, then certainly one of them. Coming here to get a result is going to be a tough ask but we’ve got a lot to play for.

"Gilco [Grant Gilchrist] mentioned earlier that it had been 30-odd years since a Scottish team won the triple crown and after a loss like last weekend, the first thing you want to do is get back out there and try to put things as right as you can. That’s what we are looking for.”

The Scotland side have been facing fierce criticism since their collapse in Rome, with questions having been raised over the team's mentality.

“It’s about staying in the moment," Darge insisted. "Every moment is going to be huge against Ireland. If you aren’t in a moment or you switch off, they’re likely to make you pay for it.

“That’s an area where we have had a lot of growth but it’s still an area of growth for us, that staying in the moment and the mental space of it.

“The fuel is the result and how gutted we were after the game. It was a quiet changing room and a tough weekend to process. That’s the fuel for me. We have an opportunity to win the Triple Crown and to come to Dublin and beat one of the best teams in the world. That’s enough motivation.”

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After last month's news of the Super Series being disbanded, Scottish Rugby has announced the changes to the Scottish Premiership.

This transition sees Watsonians and Melrose move into the top-flight while Stirling County and Boroughmuir join the National League Division One.

It has been said that a 14-club Premiership could be challenging in terms of scheduling and would stray too much from the 10-team format currently in place.

Another factor that influenced the decision comes from the Super Series' "Club XVs" deciding to drop one division from the Premiership when the competition first began in 2019.

Thus, elevating them one division - or, in Boroughmuir's case, two divisions - is believed by some to be the fairest arrangement going forward.

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Scotland will head to North and South America for their summer internationals to take on Canada, USA, Chile and Uruguay.

The tour will begin in Ottawa where they take on Canada for the first time since the Scots' 48-10 victory in 2018.

Gregor Townsend's side then move onto Washington DC where they will play USA. The Scots will look to get revenge after the Americans won by a single point in their most recent encounter.

The South American leg of the tour will kick off against Chile. The last meeting between the teams took place in 2022, with Scotland winning 45-5.

The last stop on the tour is Uruguay which is the first game between the two sides since the 1999 Rugby World Cup in a 43-12 victory to the Scots, when Gregor Townsend got on the scoresheet.

Fixtures - kick offs to be confirmed.

Saturday 6 July: Canada v Scotland, TD Place, Ottawa

Friday 12 July: USA v Scotland, Audi Field, Washington DC

Saturday 20 July: Chile v Scotland, Estadio Nacional, Santiago

Saturday 27 July: Uruguay v Scotland, Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo

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Glasgow Warriors have announced the heavily-rumoured signing of prop Rory Sutherland.

The British and Irish Lion has signed a two-year deal and will join the Scotstoun side next season.

Speaking to club media, the 31-year-old said: "The past couple of years have been tough since I had to leave Worcester. I’ve been at a few clubs and I haven’t had the consistency I’d have liked in my game.

"This move to Glasgow, and back to Scotland, offers me the chance to work on getting that back into my rugby.

“Glasgow is a really successful team, so to be offered the chance to come to Scotstoun is attractive for any player. For me, it allows me to come back home, and be closer to my family, which will work wonders for me.

“I’ve gotten close to some of the Glasgow players while in camp with Scotland and they talk highly of Franco and the culture in the club. I’m looking forward to that and getting back to the homeland."

We asked for your views on Scotland's team for the final run out of the 2024 Six Nations.

Here is a taste of what you had to say:

Graham: I think the changes are about right. However, if we play like last week, it will be a very bad outcome. Show some heart and determination, that will be pleasing. If we continue to give away penalties, as we have done for years, it will be a hard watch. Best of luck anyway, do your best guys, for the jersey.

Scott: Blair Kinghorn a very lucky boy. Yes, he can pick the ball up one handed but I would rather he kicks a lot better and covers these chips behind our defence which has killed us in this Championship. Stafford McDowall a solid choice to counter the power of Bundee Aki. Cameron Redpath has looked weak defensively.

Darwin: I would have preferred Kyle Rowe to Kinghorn at fullback. Kinghorn's positioning for both Italy tries was non-existent, he wasn't even in camera shot! He's way too casual.

Joe: Redpath arguably our best player against Italy, and he's dropped to bench. Kinghorn been miles off the pace, cost us multiple points last week but retains place. Leaving Ben White out last week was a massive error, and have to question Gregor Townsend for that decision as well, given he's been our best nine consistently.

Andrew: Good to see McDowall start, he should shore up the midfield which Italy successfully targeted last week. The pack is as good as we’ve got but Rory Sutherland a surprise since he hasn’t played much rugby at all. It’s a pretty average bench that will need to deliver if we are to have any chance (if we’re still in it when they come on).

Willie: McDowall has been outstanding for Glasgow and deserves his chance. He's physical with excellent distribution and has got better and better the more he plays. Possibility for a triple crown against the top team in Europe on their own patch is a tough ask.

David: I think Kinghorn's really lucky to keep his place, he'll be glad he's a Townsend favourite. I never understand his selections, Harry Paterson had the 'best debut he's ever seen' then hasn't been seen again since! Delighted for McDowall to be given a start though.

Colin: Happy with the entire 23. It almost looks like Townsend is actually picking on form?! McDowall in the centre to counter Ireland's big guns is a good idea, plus he’s played his way into the team with performances for Glasgow. Good looking bench…don’t always say that. Expect Ireland to win, but I think this team is the best chance of keeping it close.

Archie: There’s a small part of me who wants to see Harry Patterson get another shot after his impressive start against France and Kinghorn’s desperately poor performance versus Italy. Two chip and chase tries conceded? Not good enough.

Graham: Big issues in the back row. Our two best tacklers in Hamish Watson and Matt Fagerson out of favour, Jamie Ritchie lacking form and those selected unable to defend cohesively: they are fragile under pressure and are not an effective unit. Tactics more than personnel is the problem with the backs. We do better when the ball is in hand and moved quickly rather than kicked.

Tom English and Andy Burke discuss Gregor Townsend’s Scotland team selection to face Ireland.

It's essential listening before the big game in Dublin, so give the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast a whirl here.

Head coach Gregor Townsend wants Scotland to produce their best performance of the Six Nations against a formidable Ireland side on Saturday.

Eve McTiernan
BBC Sport Scotland

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With Scotland's three-point loss in Rome still a sore point and the match against Ireland looming this weekend, let's go back to happier times.

Namely 20 March 2010 - the last time the Scots won in Dublin.

The glorious day when Dan Parks brought Scotland's 12-year losing streak on Irish soil to an end by kicking 18 points to secure a 23-20 win.

Brian O'Driscoll opened the scoring for the hosts but the Scots roared back through Johnnie Beattie and two Parks penalties to lead 14-7 at half-time.

Then it was Ireland's turn to rally, with Tommy Bowe's converted try and a spate of traded penalties seeing the sides locked on 20 points apiece.

Parks had the final say, splitting the posts to give the visitors a momentous win as they dodged the Wooden Spoon and wrecked Ireland's hopes of the Triple Crown.

Can Scotland - who have lost the last nine meetings with Ireland - summon a similar performance on Saturday to end their dismal Dublin record and put the ghosts of Rome to bed?

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has made two changes to his side for the final Six Nations match against Ireland in Dublin.

What do you make of his selection? Are you happy to see Stafford McDowall starting? Should it have been Kyle Rowe in the XV instead of Blair Kinghorn?

Have your say here.