'Not my mentality': Scotland Six Nations title mindset revealed as fallback scenario dismissed
Captain says this is one of the biggest games he’s played
Sione Tuipulotu has urged his team-mates to keep alive Scotland’s hopes of a first title since 1999 by beating France on Saturday and ensuring the outcome of the Six Nations is not decided until the final day.
The French are odds-on favourites to prevail at Murrayfield where a bonus-point victory would see them win the championship with a game to spare.
Scotland, despite losing their opening match in Italy, are second in the standings and four points behind France having bounced back to beat England and Wales. The French have won all three of their games with a bonus point to lead the standings on 15 points and are the only side still on course for the Grand Slam.
Fabien Galthie’s side are now in a position to win the title by beating Scotland for the second year in a row, a scenario Tuipulotu is desperate to avoid. The Scotland captain has challenged the squad to rise to the occasion in what is one of their biggest games in years.
Even if Scotland lose, they would travel to Dublin next weekend with a Triple Crown to play for but Tuipulotu has eyes only for the main prize.
“It’s massive, isn't it?” said the Scotland captain. “I'm not hiding away from that at all. I think it's about getting the balance. To understand as a group, this is one of the biggest games we've played, and that's a good thing. Let's see what it brings out of us here at home. That's the mentality.
“I really want to earn another week with the team [in championship contention]. I know things next week are still available if things don't go right, but that's not my mentality, thinking about if things don't go right, I want to earn another week with this group chasing the main goal, and that's lifting the Six Nations trophy.”
Scotland have never finished in the top two since the championship was expanded to include Italy in 2000 and last won the tournament in 1999 when it was still the Five Nations.
They would almost certainly need to beat France with a bonus point and deny their opponents one to move above the French in the standings going into the final weekend.
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