THE 6 Nations stretches to its full, imposing frame this spring after its annual hibernation but the 2015 variety carries a little extra muscle, a little more tension.
This is a rugby campaign that will extend into October. It will be brutal, bruising and make extraordinary demands. Vern Cotter sat yesterday, sized up this brute and threw 23 names at it, like confetti into an unforgiving wind.
There were no surprises in the New Zealander's selection for a match in Paris that is the explosive initiation to a 6 Nations followed by a World Cup campaign.
He travels to France with the security of a settled selection, the comfort of a promising autumn campaign but with the excess baggage of a growing optimism from fellow travellers over his side's chances.
Enterprise and confidence marked the victories over Argentina and Tonga in the autumn. There was also resilience, even defiance in defeat to the New Zealanders. There have even been whispers in the English press that Scotland could be the surprise team of the tournament.
Cotter, though, must overcome the chill reality of history. Scotland have only once won three matches in the 6 Nations. They have not won in Paris in the 6 Nations, the last victory being in 1999, the final campaign of the Five Nations.
The coach known as Stern Vern yesterday surveyed this playing field with strong words spoken softly. He was brisk about the reasons for picking a starting XV that is packed with Glasgow and Edinburgh players (11).
"If we look at performances these players had and the way they went about their business in the autumn it was positive and I think they have been playing with reasonable form. I think it shows consistency," he said.
"We don't get much time to prepare if we can use that as an argument but these guys have played well together and deserve another chance."
He knows the 6 Nations pitches Scotland against four nations who are rated better than his side. The optimism can further dull somewhat when one looks at the fixtures in search of a win: France in the Stade France is followed by Wales then Italy at Murrayfield, England at Twickenham, and finally Ireland in Edinburgh. The Italians should be beaten but the chances against the rest are limited to such an extent that the bookmakers rate Scotland at 33-1 to win the championship and 7-2 to finish bottom.
Most rational observers would settle for two victories: one against the Italians and one scavenged somewhere from the bones of a lean and mean competition.
Do the French, sometimes brilliant, and always unpredictable, offer just the sniff of that unlikely victory in a packed Stade de France tomorrow?
Cotter is not the sort of coach to raise that sort of sound bite above the parapet. But he knows the French and, though this is his 6 Nations debut, he has an idea of what to expect. He has spent 17 years in France as coach and player.
He gave the press yesterday a hint of what may come. "They will try to impose their physicality on us," he said. "They believe they are stronger in their tight forwards. They will attack us through the driving maul and attack our rucks and try to get ball to their very talented backs going forward."
And how will his team respond? "We don't want them in our half going forward. We will have to be sound on fundamentals. Our defensive line-out and defensive mauls must be strong, and we cannot let them over the advantage line or create momentum. Turn them around early. These are the sort of things we are discussing but in no fixed particular order."
This is Cotter in defensive mode, perhaps appropriate for a coach in a press conference. But there is a more positive message being relayed to his players. "We are moving forward," said Cotter at one point, echoing the core, training ground message.
"The players bring intensity because they want to do well. They are ambitious, they are throwing themselves around the pitch and asking questions," he said. "They relish the challenge of the 6 Nations and want to repeat things they have done well and develop them."
The coach is in a similarly positive frame. "I look forward to the competition, looking forward to seeing how we develop, how we handle certain difficult situations. I enjoy the challenge, I enjoy seeing people step up which we were seeing during the week," he said.
The febrile atmosphere in the Stade de France will be heightened by this being the first international rugby match in the stadium since the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
"It is an opportunity for them to re-unite their country around the national anthem but there is still a game of rugby to be played afterwards," said Cotter of what will be an emotional afternoon.
"None of us are left without some form of feeling after what happened but the players are focused on the content of 80 minutes of rugby which is important," he said.
He talked of the basics of retaining concentration, of playing the referee, not conceding easy penalties. His youthful side has been reinforced by experience, particularly in the substantial shape of Jim Hamilton and Alasdair Strokosch on the bench. There is also a French accent to the team, with five players in the 23 having experience of playing n the country.
But Cotter will seek to impose a 2015 Caledonian brand on the mayhem of a Saturday afternoon in Paris.
Scotland will want to be stable in the scrum, maintain the recent dominance in the lineout and play fast, loose but with an aggressive purpose. It is lazily called ''heads up" rugby.
The eyes are on a positive future. The focus is Paris. It has to be or Scotland risks being blindsided by a competition that can quickly and brutally turn "heads up" rugby into the "heads down" demeanour of draining disappointment.
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