Rugby: Recent form gives supporters high hopes for Scotland

Allan Jacobsen believes Scotland's rugby team are facing extra scrutiny in the season ahead after finishing 2009-10 in a blaze of glory.

Speaking at a training camp in St Andrews, the 31-year-old Edinburgh prop forward recalled with affection a concluding Six Nations win in Ireland followed by a two-Test series triumph in Argentina.

He said: "I am sure opposing teams will be looking at us a bit more now."

Scotland's next two rivals are New Zealand and South Africa at Murrayfield in November and, according to Jacobsen, that will be a welcome opportunity to frank current form.

"Soon enough we will be finding out just where exactly we are at as a team, especially with New Zealand looking awesome in the Tri-Nations.

"That's all the incentive we need, though, to continue in the best possible shape."

Individually, Jacobsen, nicknamed "Chunk", has a lot to live up to, with national scrum coach Massimo Cuttitta, a former Italian front row member, describing the ex-Preston Lodge prospect as the best loose head prop in the world. He is still of that mind, although more rugby has been played around the globe in the past couple of months.

Cuttitta said: "Allan is the best in the world along with the Australian loose head (Benn Robinson). He has improved so much, particularly the way he bores in at scrums - he's killing people nowadays.

"A lot of the time newspapers focus on Moray Low or Euan Murray at tight head prop and praise them, which is fair enough. But the front row is a team effort and for them to really perform requires Allan to be working hard as well.

"There can't be any letting up because the All Blacks will have two very good tight heads in their squad that comes over.

"A lot of it is to do with competition though with Dicko (Alasdair Dickinson) pushing him hard and that can help ensure Allan is, in many ways, just at the beginning of showing what he can really do."

In fact, by playing throughout the Autumn series, which also includes a clash with Samoa, Jacobsen would reach the celebrated 50-cap mark. However, he remains grounded.

"I found out a long time ago that if you get carried away then something usually happens to trip you up," he said.

"All I would say is that I feel I have improved and that is largely down to coaching, but particularly Massimo.

"Because he has actually been there at international level there isn't anything about scrummaging Massimo doesn't know.

"I felt last season I was not at my best for long spells and I put that down to a (pectoral) injury which effectively sidelined me for six months.

"For a large part I was trying to catch up on fitness but about halfway through I felt things come together.

"Again, experience has taught me that when you feel a bit out of touch the only response is to keep working hard and it has always come right in the end."

Such an attitude is mirrored in the fact that after starting the opening two Six Nations matches on the bench, Chunk recovered the starting spot midway through.

Additionally, he has been involved in 25 of Scotland's last 27 games in a run that roughly coincides with the appearance of Cuttitta on the scene.

"There's definitely a lot more I want to do and I just love playing," said Jacobsen as he displayed a tattoo on his arm proudly proclaiming the birth of his daughter, Maisie, around the time of the Calcutta Cup draw with England.

"There's no doubt, too, that the success towards the end of last season has given us fresh heart for the weeks ahead.

"Winning in Ireland was good but, overall, the Six Nations was disappointing and we haven't forgotten that.

"To go to Argentina and win both Tests was particularly satisfying and, although I enjoyed each of these matches, it was good to prove the first victory was no fluke."

Indeed, within a week Scotland's revived reputation had been enhanced when Argentina scored 40 points when beating France in Argentina.

Did that provide further pleasure in the Scottish camp?

"To be honest, when I returned from South American I switched off rugby and it was two or three weeks before I found out what had happened.

"I always felt they had a lot to offer but that's in the past and all our focus now has to be on the Autumn as well as helping Edinburgh get off to a good start in what will be an exciting Magners League with two Italian sides joining."

Here again Cuttitta will be on hand to offer insight. The coach said: "Watch for Treviso and Aironi becoming a force because they have lots of financial backing and not just in the Magners League but soon in the Heineken European Cup as well."