Veteran lock Jim Hamilton is urging Scottish fans to keep faith with “an unbelievably good young squad” for the future despite being one match away from an RBS 6 Nations whitewash.
Vern Cotter has recalled Adam Ashe and Ryan Grant for the final match against Ireland at BT Murrayfield on Saturday, with Hamilton among those injured at Twickenham last week recovered in time to play.
However in his ninth 6 Nations campaign, Hamilton fervently believes Scotland are on the cusp of a breakthrough.
“We’re definitely on the up,” he said. “We have some fantastic players coming through; Jonny Gray was just 21 last Saturday, Adam Ashe, Finn (Russell), Hoggy, Fraser Brown, the centres, we are building an unbelievably good young squad.
“We are also making nave errors, and they are costing us. I understand results are the most important thing, but we definitely have young players now who can do something special in the future.”
Hamilton feels more optimistic than at any time in his decade long international career.
“We just need to tie everything together,” he continued. “It’s not that we’re not scoring tries. It’s not that we’re getting bullied upfront, which we have done in the past. Vern (Cotter) is the best coach I’ve worked with.
“We’ve got all the tools now and we’ve got some unbelievable players coming through. That’s something that I haven’t seen in the past as much as I’m seeing now.
“Can we win against Ireland with what we’ve got? Of course we can. It is not going to be easy because they are a fantastic team, but we genuinely believe we are on the right road and if we get the things we have been working on right, and sort out the stuff that hasn’t been working then we can beat Ireland.”
Hamilton speaks as a player, although retained in the team for Saturday, who is acutely aware he can’t think too far ahead.
“It can change so quickly, for example one minute I was not in the autumn squad, then I was in and then out and back in again,” he pointed out.
“Just look at Alex Dunbar getting injured. It is about now. I don’t know about other teams, but we are not a position, at least I’m not, to worry about what happens in four or five games time.
“The biggest thing for me is the could-have-should-have-would-have, being the nearly team. There are such high expectations.
“I genuinely, genuinely believe in what we are doing otherwise I would not be working as hard as I am to be here.”
After his own years of struggles with Scotland, Hamilton feels that the rewards are not too far away.
“Winning is a habit; having played for Leicester and for Saracens, being in games where you are not playing that well but go on to win the game, it’s because you are used to winning.
“I genuinely think that having playing for Scotland and not having everything going our way and having to brush ourselves down, something good will come of it.
“If we beat Ireland at the weekend, I’m not going to be happy with the Championship, I am here to be part of a successful team.
“Whether that is with me starting, on the bench or in the squad helping the young guys, I am determined to see it through. I won’t put my body on the line, breaking fingers, doing my back in and getting stitched every week for something I don’t believe in.
“I believe in it for Scotland and I will stay here as long as I possibly can to see that through.”