A Job Well Done - Now We Move On To The Six Nations

WELL, that's the Autumn Internationals out of the way – now it's back to purritch and auld claes until the 2018 Six Nations kick-in at Cardiff, in ten weeks' time. Of course, between now and then, our two professional clubs have some serious European games to get through, not forgetting the PRO14 grind.

Gregor Townsend - has to be happy this morning

But, right now, as we reflect on the three AIs, there has to be a justifiable glow of satisfaction around the High Performance arm of the SRU. Two out of three ain't bad, and, considering the one that got away was against the World Champions – Scotland is in a good place. But, international sport is results-driven, it's great to be Scottish just now; a loss to Wales in Cardiff on 3 February could rapidly cast a dark pall over proceedings.

But, tomorrow morning, when Gregor Townsend sits down at his desk inside Murrayfield, to begin the de-brief of the last three internationals, he has more positives than negatives to reflect on.

We went into the Autumn Tests with a huge question mark hanging over our front five – the “piano shifters” who, if they don't do their jobs, can make it very-difficult for the “piano players” in the backs to make beautiful music.

These have largely been answered. Daryl Marfo has been a real find, as has Jamie Bhatti. Three weeks ago they were perhaps ranked fifth and sixth in our loose-head propping pecking order, behind the injured Alasdair Dickinson, Gordon Reid, Rory Sutherland and Lion Allan Dell. We now have genuine depth at number one.

Stuart McInally - a brilliant Autumn series

At hooker – Stuart McInally's consistent excellence has perhaps been THE plus point of the Autumn. He was immense in all three games, and the battle between him and Fraser Brown for the number two shirt going forward will be ferocious. Young George Turner too did well, so, sadly for such a good and faithful servant, we may have, after over a century of games, have seen the last of Ross Ford in a Scotland shirt.

The number three shirt position is not quite so-bright. WP Nel, when fit, is still our first pick, but, he has, I would suggest, become somewhat injury-prone. Zander Fagerson, the heir-apparent, remains a work in progress, but, he is making genuine progress.

I admit, I am not a huge Simon Berghan fan. I do not think the big Edinburgh man is international class, but, he has improved with more game time. Thankfully, at his club, he has the benefit of the presence of Richard Cockerill, who is, slowly but surely, ironing-out the faults in his game.

Jonny Gray was immense in al three games, however, just as pleasing was the way the relatively untried Edinburgh pair of Ben Toolis and Grant Gilchrist came in and made light of the injury-induced absence of Richie Gray and Tim Swinson – the boilerhouse is another place where we now have strength-in-depth.

 John Barclay has led from the front

Our first-choice back row: skipper John Barclay, Hamish Watson and Ryan Wilson have shown themselves to be as good as any. Cornell du Preez has done well when he has come on, without exactly hitting the heights, but, the alternatives really have to step-up and put pressure on the men in possession.

I don't know what has happened to Josh Strauss, but, he will, if indeed he has no international future, not be the first player to move to Sale and disappear off the international radar. Of more concern is – what happens with the Edinburgh “bad boys” Magnus Bradbury and John Hardie. I fear, Hardie, if he has indeed been indulging in Columbian marching powder, has probably gone, while Bradbury has a lot to do to rehabilitate himself. Dave Denton too, needs a big second half of the season at his club to get back into the mix. A couple of injuries, and we have back-row problems.

Ali Price is now, surely, our first-choice nine. But, Greig Laidlaw will hopefully be back to challenge in February, while Henry Pyrgos is coming back to his best form – so, here too, we have depth.

Finn Russell is our key man – if anything happens to him, we have nobody with his attacking genius, although, to be fair, Ruaridh Jackson or Peter Horne are fair replacements, if lacking the Russell X-factor. We need a fit Russell.

 Finn Russell - as crucial a Scottish number ten as Denis Law or John Rutherford

Huw Jones is now our main man in midfield, but, here too we have great depth: Alex Dunbar, when fit, will probably start but, the injured Mark Bennett, Matt Scott and Duncan Taylor should all be available come the Six Nations, while Phil Burleigh has now been capped while Nick Grigg, Chris Dean and James Johnstone are all rapidly approaching genuine international class.

We have depth too on the wings. Tommy Seymour's current travails are, I am sure, temporary. We have alternatives here.

Stuart Hogg's late injury on Saturday may prove to be a blessing in disguise. Who would have thought we could have lost our talisman so-late, and still beat a top three nation? Certainly not me. Hoggie, like Finn Russell, is very, very special, but, we didn't really miss him on Saturday.

 Stuart Hogg, as special as Finn Rusell

So, where once, if Scotland lost a couple of players, we were in trouble, today we have one very good international side, a reasonably-good alternative XV and a third team of promise. You don't believe me:

Scotland: Daryl Marfo, Stuart McInally, Wilem Nel; Richie Gray, Jonny Gray; John Barclay, Hamish Watson, Ryan Wilson; Ali Price, Finn Russell, Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, Huw Jones, Sean Maitland, Stuart Hogg.

Scotland A: Jamie Bhatti, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson; Ben Toolis, Tim Swinson; Cornell du Preez, Luke Hamilton, Josh Strauss; Greig Laidlaw, Peter Horne; Byron McGuigan, Duncan Taylor, Mark Bennett, Lee Jones; Ruaridh Jackson.

Scotland B: Allan Dell, George Turner, John Welsh; Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings*; Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie* David Denton; Henry Pyrgos, Duncan Weir; Rory Hughes, Phil Burleigh, Matt Scott, Dougie Fife; Blair Kinghorn*.

Scotland C: Gordon Reid, Ross Ford, D'Arcy Rae*; Fraser McKenzie*, Anton Bresler*; Matt Fagerson*, John Hardie, Arthur Ashe; Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Tom Heathcote; Darcy Graham*, Chris Dean* Nick Grigg, Damien Hoyland; Greig Tonks. Plyers marked with an asterisk *, are still uncapped.

Have we ever before had such strength-in-depth.