Scotland’s head coach claimed not to have known that his side would be experiencing a first when they host Italy on the opening day of the Six Nations Championship next week, but aware as Gregor Townsend is of the importance of momentum in this competition it is a far from insignificant statistic.

If the unprecedented form shown by Scotland’s professional teams in making history by reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup in the same season was not enough, that his side finally gets this opportunity against the perennial whipping boys of this competition would suggest that all stars are aligning perfectly to maximise his side’s chances.

Speaking at the tournament launch in London yesterday, both he and Conor O’Shea, his Italian counterpart, veered away from reading anything suspicious into a sequence that has taken 19 tournaments to bring about a return of the fixture which saw the Italians introduce themselves triumphantly against a Scotland team that, with Townsend in its line-up, was defending the title won in the last ever Five Nations campaign the year before.

“I did not know that. The fixtures fall where they fall,” said Townsend.

O’Shea, meanwhile, noted that it was by no means the only scheduling anomaly.

“It’s 20 years, Gats (Wales coach Warren Gatland) told me last night, that Ireland and England haven’t played against each other [on day one]. So you think of that, and I think Wales-England have played seven times. It’s the first time Ireland and England have played, which is incredible - that would be a plum draw for TV. So no, it’s not strange in any way, it’s just the way it goes.”

Since that day in Rome, however, both Scotland and Italy have found it difficult to get going in the competition, much more often than not battling it out for the Wooden Spoon. Scotland have won their opening match on just two occasions in the interim, both leading to respectable campaigns when they defeated France in 2006 and Ireland in 2014 and both of those having been at home, Townsend was at least prepared to acknowledge that the schedule favours his side to that extent, not least because it is then backed up by a second home match, albeit that one is against tournament favourites Ireland.

“To get a home game is a good start to the tournament, there is no travel and you do things in your own training environment and that makes it better,” he said.

“That was the start we were looking for, whether it is Italy or Ireland. We know the challenge we face as we all have a small window to prepare for the first game.”

As to any lessons to be taken from that solitary previous opening day encounter with the Italians, it was a very long time ago and he reckoned there was more value to be taken from reminding themselves of a more recent experience.

Hopes were, after all, very high a year ago when they headed to Cardiff on the back of an encouaging autumn campaign, only to suffer a thrashing.

“Last year game against Wales is more relevant,” Townsend asserted.

“In that opening game in hindsight we maybe reflected too much on the positive things that happened in November and not enough on the hard work or accuracy we needed to beat any of the teams in the Six Nations.

“That game showed us the Six Nations is tougher than the November Tests and the quality of opposition we are facing is very high. When you see the world rankings we are facing some of the best teams in the world in this six nations.

“The first twenty minutes of the game will be vitally important. We will have to be accurate and we have to stick in the fight longer than we did that day against Wales.”

He meanwhile admitted that there is reason to be wary of next week’s visitors.

“We have had recent reminders of how good Italian rugby is. Glasgow lost to Treviso, we should have lost to Italy last year,” he pointed out.

“We were well behind on the scoreboard with twenty minutes to go. We found a way to win and that is what we need to do this time round. We will be looking at a way to win.”

Scotland’s coach meanwhile dismissed reports that openside flanker Hamish Watson would miss the tournament after breaking his hand playing for Edinburgh last weekend.

“No, I didn’t say that,” he countered.

“Hamish had surgery on Monday and he should be back at some stage during it. We don’t expect that to be Italy or Ireland, the first two games. We think he’s unlikely to be available for the third game, but if things heal well he should take part in the potentially the last two games.”

He also confirmed that while last season’s Six Nations captain John Barclay will play no part in the Championship this time around, he is still on course to return to the squad for the World Cup later this year.

Scotland’s Six Nations starters:

Italy a – 2000

France a – 2001 2005 2011 2015

England h – 2002 2012 2016

Ireland h – 2003 2017

Wales a – 2004 2018

France h – 2006 2008 2010

England a – 2007 2013

Wales h - 2009

Ireland a 2014