Scotland’s summer points to progress, but proof still awaits

Scotland’s summer should be judged as a step forward: two wins from three Tests, second place in the northern table behind France, and 16 tries scored across the campaign. The bigger question is whether this momentum can carry into the matches that define reputations: the Six Nations and World Cup cycle.

The comeback against Fiji underlined one of the clearest themes of the tour: Townsend’s bench made a difference. Pierre Schoeman, Scott Cummings, Sione Tuipulotu and Jamie Dobie all crossed after coming on, turning a difficult contest into another example of Scotland’s growing depth.

Tuipulotu again looked central to Scotland’s attacking identity, while Cummings strengthened his case as one of the squad’s most influential forwards. Gregor Hiddleston’s emergence at hooker, plus competition across the backline involving Kyle Steyn, Jamie Dobie and Kyle Rowe, suggests selection pressure is increasing in useful places.

The caution is that summer form has misled Scotland before. A narrow gap to the elite is easier to talk about than to close, and fixtures against New Zealand and Ireland at Murrayfield should provide a sharper test of whether this squad is moving from exciting contender to consistent winner.