In 2024, Scotland headed into the Six Nations as title challengers but customary inconsistency saw them mix the good with the bad: beating England and scaring France but losing to Italy. Can 2025 prove different?

For several years the Scots have flattered to deceive, entering tournaments with the quality and confidence to challenge for the trophy but falling below their best when it mattered most or in games they were expected to win.

Last year, Scotland won in Cardiff, beat England for a fourth year on the spin and were a TMO decision away from defeating France at Murrayfield, but then lost to Italy in Rome and Ireland in Dublin.

Here, we take a closer look at how Scotland are shaping up ahead of their opening home match of 2025 against Italy…

Fixtures

• Italy – Murrayfield – Saturday February 1 – 2.15pm (GMT)
• Ireland – Murrayfield – Sunday February 9 – 3pm (GMT)
• England – Twickenham – Saturday February 22 – 4.45pm (GMT)
• Wales – Murrayfield – Saturday March 8 – 4.45pm (GMT)
• France – Stade de France – Saturday March 15 – 8pm (GMT)

What’s changed?

After fly-half Finn Russell and back-row Rory Darge were named as co-captains to replace Jamie Ritchie in last year’s Six Nations, outstanding centre Sione Tuipulotu was announced as captain by Gregor Townsend for the autumn.

Tuipulotu led the side to home victories over Fiji, Australia and Portugal in November – in addition to a heavy defeat against the Springboks – but the 27-year-old has since picked up a serious pectoral injury in training right on the cusp of the Six Nations, ruling him out of the championship.

The set-back is disastrous for Scotland, with Tuipulotu in such form he was being spoken about by most as a potential Test starter for the British and Irish Lions against Australia in the summer.

As a result, Russell and Darge have again been chosen as co-captains.

The other major change for Scotland is that a hefty proportion of their squad has now tasted silverware for the first time.

Glasgow Warriors went on a stunning URC run at the end of last season, beating Munster away in the semi-finals and then fighting back from 13-0 behind to win at the Bulls in South Africa 21-16 in a marvellous final.

That success can only be a positive for a Scotland side seeking their first championship silverware for 26 years. Winning breeds winning.

What’s hot?

For all that they do have absentees (more below), Scotland still possess a wealth of talent, specifically within their backs, and have more than enough to trouble every team in the Six Nations.

Bath playmaker Finn Russell, Toulouse full-back Blair Kinghorn and Edinburgh wings Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham are fantastic players, each capable of turning Test matches around.

In the forwards, top-level props Pierre Schoeman and Zander Fagerson mean Scotland’s scrum is no longer the Achilles heel it seemingly was for decades, while their depth at back-row is strong.

Scotland’s schedule also means their toughest game on paper is left to last in the trip to face France in Paris – might they be in the title shake-up come then?

They are unbeaten in six of their last seven meetings with England and travel to face them at Twickenham in the middle of the two fallow weeks, while they host an Andy Farrell-less Ireland in Round 2 at Murrayfield.

Ireland have proven the bogey-team Scotland have been unable to defeat in any of their promising campaigns, incredibly losing 10 Tests on the bounce to the men in green. Such a run has to end some time, though.

What’s not?

In a word, injuries. The loss of midfield bulldozer-cum-playmaker Tuipulotu is the headline, but unfortunately for Townsend and co, he has not been the only casualty for Scotland in recent weeks.

Lock Scott Cummings has also been ruled out for the whole championship with a broken forearm. A fractured thumb has put Cummings’ promising Glasgow second-row partner Max Williamson on the sidelines too.

Saracens flanker Andy Christie is out due to ankle surgery, while Glasgow skipper and wing Kyle Steyn has been missing for a while due to a knee injury.

Back-row Luke Crosbie, second-row duo Grant Gilchrist and Jonny Gray, and lethal wing Van der Merwe have also been struggling with knocks since joining the camp in something bordering a crisis.

The timing of such injuries and doubts could not be worse for Scotland, who harboured genuine hopes this time of really challenging for the title.

The other factor to Scotland, which has been a consistently negative theme, has been their inconsistency. Each championship in recent seasons has mirrored the other: landmark, impressive victories backed up by shock or meek defeats.

That loss in Rome last year still haunts them for example, and they cannot afford more surprise slip-ups.

Championship record

Six Nations since 2000: None

Overall: 15 titles outright (1887, 1889, 1891, 1895, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1907, 1925, 1929, 1933, 1938, 1984, 1990, 1999)

Scotland’s 39-player squad for the 2025 Six Nations:

Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Gregor Brown (Glasgow), Dave Cherry (Edinburgh), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Rory Darge (Glasgow), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow), Euan Ferrie (Glasgow), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Bordeaux), Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers), Patrick Harrison (Edinburgh), Will Hurd (Leicester), Ewan Johnson (Oyannax), Jack Mann (Glasgow), Alexander Masibaka (Soyaux-Angouleme), D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh).

Backs: Fergus Burke (Saracens), Matt Currie (Edinburgh), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), George Horne (Glasgow), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton), Huw Jones (Glasgow), Tom Jordan (Glasgow), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), Finn Russell (Bath), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Ollie Smith (Glasgow), Ben White (Toulon).