THE smart money suggests that if Scotland are to have a realistic chance against Australia on Saturday, their pack are going to have to dominate. If they do, then the Edinburgh front row will have played a significant role.
In the middle is likely to be Ross Ford, the 33-year-old hooker winning his 109th cap to equal Chris Paterson's Scottish record. On either side, WP Nel, winning his 17th and Allan Dell on his 10th. There is no doubt where the experience lies.
Nor is there any doubt about the respect he is held in by his colleagues. He is not one of the big talkers, but when he does talk, they listen.
"He is always there, he is always willing to help and share his knowledge," explained Dell. "If things go wrong, he is never flustered or panicking. That is what you need, especially when there are a lot of youngsters in the side. If things do go wrong, you need those cool heads.
"He has been fantastic, especially for Scottish rugby. I hope that he gets on on Saturday and equals the cap record and then goes on to become the most capped player, that will be fantastic for him and his family."
As Dell pointed out, Ford is in as good form as he has ever shown. He is looking and feeling lean and fit. His two tries last weekend, one at the back of a maul, one in open play, doubled his international try tally and he has no intention of stopping there.
"Everyone loves scoring tries, so to get two in a game is fantastic," Dell enthused. "I hope he carries on. The last few games he has been brilliant, running round like somebody younger. He is full of energy, so I hope he goes on for many more years to come."
The unit is working well, with the understanding they have built up at the club helping them react to a variety of issues at Test level. "You all know what everybody else is doing," Dell explained. "I will know what WP [Nel] is wanting to do in a certain scrum.
"Ford, he is getting close to 110 caps so he has that experience, you know you can rely on him. They are both experienced men, strong men so you know that you only have to worry about yourself and that is all you need to do."
After two successive one-point defeats by Australia, Scotland are itching for revenge. "We have the confidence; we know we can win, it is just a question of doing the right things," Dell said. "We need to concentrate – it is lapses of concentration that have let us down.
"Barring England, I thought we had a really good Six Nations. Coming down to Australia I am not going to say that we are definitely going to win, but we have an opportunity to do it.
"It will be difficult – in the Rugby Championship, they have always been dominant at home. Everyone will need to to be 100 per cent on their game."
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