Scotland have been to ‘hell and back’ to be contenders – Tuipulotu

‘We have been to hell and back to be contenders’Media caption, Ireland, Scotland or France – who will win the Six Nations title?ByAndy BurkeBBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in DublinPublished1 hour agoIn the 27 years since Scotland were last relevant in the shake-up for the Six Nations on the final weekend, there have been plenty scars accrued along the way.Sione Tuipulotu has only had to endure them in the past five years since he first donned the dark blue, but he has been around long enough to appreciate the opportunity he and his men have carved out for themselves as they prepare to take on Ireland in Dublin with a title and a Triple Crown still in play on the final weekend.”We want to be the first of our kind and that’s a big motivating factor,” reported the Scotland captain. “But it’s not the be all and end all.”Over the past five years, in certain aspects, we’ve been to hell and back together. So that’s where my strength comes from, and our strength as a team: the hard stuff we’ve been through. “The ability to be resilient in those times is what gives me the most confidence that we’ll be the best version of ourselves.”Following the capitulation from 21-0 up to lose against Argentina in November, and again when they went down to Italy in round one of the Six Nations, it was hard to escape the conclusion that this team had reached the end of the line under Gregor Townsend.How do Scots beat ‘nemesis’ Ireland for first time in 12 meetings?