GREIG Laidlaw has insisted that Scotland still have hopes of winning the RBS Six Nations Championship despite losing to England last week in their opening game. The 15-9 defeat was the national team’s eighth consecutive loss in the tournament - a record run of reverses - and they are odds on to make it nine when they play Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

But Laidlaw, the scrum-half and captain, said the squad understood why they had lost to England and were “quietly confident” of bouncing back against the Welsh. “Yeah, of course,” he said when asked if he hoped his team could still go on and win the Six Nations. “That’s what we’re trying to do - otherwise we shouldn’t be here.

“It’s a sore defeat to take, but if we keep hindering ourselves by thinking about it when we’re going to Wales, we’re not going to win that game either. We just need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get ready to put our best foot forward come Saturday.

“I can see already that we’re being written off. We’re one game into the tournament: we aren’t going to panic, and we’ll stick together as players and coaches. If we do that we’ll be fine.”

While Vern Cotter has now presided over half a dozen defeats in the Six Nations since becoming Scotland coach, Laidlaw argued that the squad has improved under the New Zealander, and remains convinced that the team is not far away from turning potential into achievement. “There is still confidence within the group,” he continued. “We believe we’re so much better than we were. We believe we’re better under Vern, but ultimately we need to take that step by winning games and we’re desperate to do that.

“We understand why we lost at the weekend, but we’re quietly confident. We’re an honest group and take that defeat on the chin.”

The Welsh camp will decide later this week whether to select Dan Biggar for Saturday’s game at the Principality Stadium. The stand-off injured an ankle in the draw against Ireland on Sunday, but the prognosis yesterday was more optimistic than the original outlook.

“Dan Biggar has made excellent progress with his injury,” a statement from the Welsh Rugby Union said. “Indications are that the injury is not considered long term.”

With a fortnight off after this weekend before the next round of fixtures, however, any lingering doubt about Biggar’s fitness is likely to see him rested on Saturday.