The Scotland message Matt Scott recently received from Townsend

Matt Scott hasn’t given up all hope of receiving a Scotland call-up, revealing that Gregor Townsend was in touch last month to keep him in the loop even though he isn’t part of the squad for the current Guinness Six Nations. The midfielder created headlines in November 2021 when he earned a Murrayfield start versus the Springboks, his first cap in four-and-a-half years.

Before that recall, the 32-year-old midfielder had appeared 39 times for his country but his last start was in Townsend’s first match in charge against Italy in Singapore in June 2017. Scott then won his last Scotland cap at that time a week later as a replacement in the victory over Australia in Sydney.

A combination of injury, indifferent form, increased competition and covid call-offs all stopped Scott from adding to his tally in the intervening period until his eventual comeback 15 months ago, but he hasn't featured since then for Scotland. Townsend’s current midfield preference is pairing Sione Tuipulotu with Huw Jones, but Scott hasn’t given up on his Test career.

“He [Townsend] sent me a message before the Six Nations and said that I had missed out but he still thinks I can play Test rugby,” revealed Scott. “It was at a point where I had missed three or four games with Leicester with Guy (Porter) and Dan Kelly being fit and I wasn’t selected so the timing wasn’t great.

“I’m happy to be getting a run in the (Leicester) team now and you never know what can happen. It’s just trying to get better and I’d be delighted to get back into the fold. I’m delighted that they are doing well. It is a tough spot, centre. At the moment there are a lot of good players. We’ll see.”

That seeing in recent weeks has been a delight for Scottish people the world over. Back-to-back wins over England and Wales was the first time Scotland have won their opening two matches in the championship since 1996 and the achievement left Scott impressed. “The squad has been threatening to do well for a while, just never been able to string two wins together at the start of a tournament.

“The old cliche everyone bangs on about, having a good start and how much momentum it gives you, it is completely true. We have never been able to do that whenever we have had a good first win, we have never been able to follow it up. Delighted for the guys. I thought we were excellent, an ambitious team, really dangerous, fun to watch. I was a really proud Scotsman.”

Switching to Leicester business and this Sunday’s visit to league leaders Saracens to Welford Road, Scott is keen on making amends for the heavy trouncing Tigers suffered in London earlier in the season. “Quality team. Looking at the teamsheet, it’s full of quality," he said about the round 17 visitors.

“Definitely not Saracens of old, they are really progressing their game. You have got to be alive to their threat from deep and it makes them a very difficult team to analyse and to play against because they have got multiple threats. It’s going to be an extremely tough game but it’s exciting. They put a big score on us earlier in the season and we have got to our best to rectify that because it was a bit of an embarrassing moment for us.”

Scott takes his place in a Leicester team heavy with experience in the back three with ex-England full-back Mike Brown set for a Tigers debut at the age of 37 and Chris Ashton, the soon-to-be 36-year-old, included on the wing. “These guys, you can tell from the moment you meet them why they have been such top players for so long.

“They are so hungry to get better, so hungry to succeed, very competitive guys for sure and they have been quality additions. The club has been really shrewd in picking up these guys when they were free agents and they have just added so much to our team. Mike has fitted in really well over the last couple of weeks and I’m really excited to see him out there on Sunday.”