Scotland have been to ‘hell and back’ to be contenders – Tuipulotu

In the 27 years since Scotland were last relevant in the shake-up for the Six Nations on the final weekend, there have been plenty scars accrued along the way.

Sione Tuipulotu has only had to endure them in the past five years since he first donned the dark blue, but he has been around long enough to appreciate the opportunity he and his men have carved out for themselves as they prepare to take on Ireland in Dublin with a title and a Triple Crown still in play on the final weekend.

“We want to be the first of our kind and that’s a big motivating factor,” said the Scotland captain. “But it’s not the be all and end all.

“Over the past five years, in certain aspects, we’ve been to hell and back together. So that’s where my strength comes from, and our strength as a team: the hard stuff we’ve been through.

“The ability to be resilient in those times is what gives me the most confidence that we’ll be the best version of ourselves.”

It was not a conclusion based off just those two results, rather than those two defeats providing confirmation this was a team always destined to provide thrilling highs and crushing lows, never ridding itself of its maddening inconsistency.

Instead, those tough losses seem to have been a line-in-the-sand moment for this team, necessary fuel for this group of players to finally make the kind of step up that had been so frustratingly elusive.

After three consecutive victories in the Six Nations – against England, Wales and France – things look like they have fallen into place for a team long believed to be the most talented in the country’s history.

“I think we’ve made adjustments,” Tuipulotu said. “You go through things with a team, like the Argentina game, the Italy game, that moulds you as a team, and the last three games has clicked for us a little bit.

Scotland’s greatest challenge also happens to be their last. Putting a seemingly unstoppable France to the sword last weekend in such ruthless fashion was as brilliant as it was unexpected, but Ireland are the bogey team to end all bogey teams.

Ireland have won the past 11 meetings between the sides. Scotland have rarely looked like winning any of them.

Only three of Scotland’s matchday 23 for Saturday – Zander Fagerson, Finn Russell and Huw Jones – know what it feels like to beat Ireland. None of them have experienced a victory in Dublin. No Scottish team, club or country, has ever won at Aviva Stadium.

“There is belief definitely,” said Tuipulotu, who played for Ireland coach Andy Farrell on last summer’s Lions tour of Australia.

“Maybe coming to the Aviva to play Ireland in the past it’s seemed a little bit more like hope and that’s a credit to them as well as what type of team they are. But we have been building this belief. You’ve got to act on your belief as well. There’s no point in you just believing and then get out there and don’t act on it.

“Being coached by Faz in the summer gave me a lot of perspective on how his teams are run and why they’ve been so successful over the last 10 years.

“It’s a massive challenge for us, but I’m a believer that all things happen for a reason. There’s a reason Ireland are the last game for us because it’s probably the toughest challenge and has been the toughest challenge for us for the last 10 years.

“It’s one we’re ready for and we’re really excited for and I just can’t wait to get out there and have fun with my friends on Saturday.”

The ‘golden generation’ stuff thrown around in relation to this Scotland team in recent years has tended to centred on what is undoubtedly the greatest collection of Scottish backs ever assembled.

Seeing the way the forward pack outplayed and, surprisingly, outmuscled their French counterparts last weekend, it was clear Scotland’s recent upturn is not solely down to the magic occurring behind the scrum.

“I think the big change I felt, being in the room, is that I felt like our pack dominated the French pack last week and that hasn’t happened to the French pack this championship,” Tuipulotu said.

“I think a lot of those forwards have matured. I know [Rory] Darge has been playing since he was 21 years old, so he’s matured now into the player that he is and he’s ready for this challenge.

“He’s going to be playing against a British and Irish Lion [Josh van der Flier], same with Jack Dempsey. He’s matured into that role now that he’s pretty well renowned as an enforcer so he’s ready for that.