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Your support makes all the difference.It is never sensible to under-estimate the Scots when they head south - look how they nearly beat the All Blacks the last time they were in New Zealand in 1990 - but, even on an optimistic assessment, the mission on which they depart tonight is next to impossible.
An eight-match tour, culminating in Tests next month at Dunedin and Auckland, provides an opportunity to achieve what no predecessors have in 17 attempts: beat the All Blacks. This is a fond but faint hope, the standard of rugby in the Super 12 series having demonstrated New Zealand rugby to be on a higher plane than anything lately witnessed in the Five Nations.
Jim Telfer, of all people, needs no reminding of what lies ahead. The playing and coaching career of Scotland's manager has been inextricably intertwined with the All Blacks since he first faced them as a 24-year- old in 1964 - a game Scotland and New Zealand drew 0-0.
"This tour will be a tremendous examination of the strength of the Scottish game, and far harder than any Five Nations' Championship encounter," Telfer said.
The prospect is therefore daunting, an ominous sensation exacerbated by the selectors' arguable decision to go away without a specialist goal- kicker among their prospective first-choice XV.
Rowen Shepherd appears to be the likely alternative, though his kicking when the Scots lost to Italy in January scarcely inspired confidence and was the very reason Michael Dods was reinstated in the team for the championship. But Dods' own 47 per cent success-rate eventually persuaded Telfer that he was no longer worth his place.
Telfer is hoping others, such as Craig Chalmers, a Lion but nowadays reserve outside-half behind Gregor Townsend, and Ken Logan, who will probably take Dods' wing place, will use the need to find a kicker as an incentive. But even Telfer cannot deny the risk. "I accept that the absence of a first-choice goal-kicker might come back to haunt us," he said.
The Scots' best hope may lie less in themselves than in the attention- span of their opponents as the All Blacks look beyond them to the new three-nation series with Australia and South Africa, and a tour of South Africa. Some hope.
Simon Mason, 22, the Orrell full-back capped this season by Ireland, yesterday became the latest signing by Richmond. Brimah Kebbie, the Huddersfield rugby league wing, is joining Saracens.
SCOTLAND TOUR PARTY: Full-backs: *S Lang (Heriot's FP), R Shepherd (Melrose). Wings: C Joiner (Melrose), K Logan (Stirling County), A Stanger (Hawick), D Stark (Boroughmuir). Centres: *R Eriksson (London Scottish), S Hastings (Watsonians), I Jardine (Stirling County), G Shiel (Melrose). Outside- halves: C Chalmers (Melrose), G Townsend (Northampton). Scrum halves: G Armstrong (Newcastle), A Nicol (Bath).
Props: D Hilton (Bath), *T Smith (Watsonians), *B Stewart (Edinburgh Academicals), P Wright (Boroughmuir). Hookers: *G Ellis (Currie), K McKenzie (Stirling County). Locks: S Campbell (Dundee HSFP), D Cronin (Bourges), *S Murray (Edinburgh Academicals), G Weir (Newcastle). Flankers: *N Broughton (Melrose), I Smith (Gloucester), R Wainwright (Watsonians, capt), P Walton (Newcastle). No 8s: E Peters (Bath), *B Renwick (Hawick). *Uncapped.
ITINERARY: 28 May: Wanganui (Wanganui). 31 May: Northland (Whangarei). 5 June: Waikato (Hamilton). 8 June: Southland (Invercargill). 11 June: South Island Divisional XV (Blenheim). 15 June: NEW ZEALAND (Dunedin). 18 June: Bay of Plenty (Rotorua). 22 June: NEW ZEALAND (Auckland).
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