The first fixture in the RBS Six Nations is always the key game in the tournament – and I think we have got to be very positive that it is both at home and against France.

On their day, when they cut loose, the French can play the type of rugby that will beat any side in the world and they have shown that by defeating both South Africa and New Zealand this season, so we must play them with fear in our hearts and our minds totally focused.

From that point of view our defence is going to be absolutely vital on Sunday, at Murrayfield, as when we beat them on our turf in 2006, we basically tackled them to a standstill.

I think we are going to need a similar type of performance to the one we produced in our victory over Australia in the Autumn.

If Andy Robinson gets that then I think the French will get frustrated and then the errors and lapses in discipline and concentration that we need may creep in. Then it will be up to us to take advantage.

I am really very optimistic we can get the win we need and if that happens then we will have given ourselves a tremendous launch pad for the rest of the tournament.

Although we always talk about the flair of the French they are also very good defensively with the ‘hard-drift’ format they utilise. They very rarely miss a tackle one-on-one and Scotland will have to be almost error-free in that respect, but as we proved against the Wallabies we are capable of doing just that.

As far as the pack goes, I think a huge plus for us is the depth we have at lock, which in my book is going to be a key position against the French.

With Al Kellock – who only yesterday committed himself to another three years at Warriors – Jim Hamilton and Richie Gray all in the mix, we are well served there.

Of course the contact will be vital and we know the type of power the French pack can generate and also how good they are at the lineout, but these are also areas where Scotland are also strong. I see no reason for us to approach this game in anything other than positive fashion.

I am delighted, of course, that we have a Glasgow player as captain in Chris Cusiter, and I think if Chris gets a little bit more luck with injuries than he has had during his first season at Warriors, he can have a massive tournament.

His service from around the scrum is superb and the way he snipes at his opposite number will also, hopefully, cause disruption for the French, so I see no reason why Chris can not re-establish himself as the tournament’s outstanding No.9 if he gets a break.

So here we go and while I am also managing the Scotland ‘A’ side who play Ireland at Ravenhill tomorrow night, I must admit that Sunday and the French can’t come quickly enough.