With the latest instalment of the Six Nations docuseries landing on Netflix earlier this week, several of the Scotland players spoke of what they have achieved over these past few years. Victories over England have become ten-a-penny, to the point that Scotland have almost come to view the Calcutta Cup as their own personal property. They have won away at Twickenham. They have won away in Paris. They have won away in Cardiff. They have achieved things that had been beyond previous Scotland teams for a generation.

Yet, in years to come, this current group of players might also have cause to reflect on the one thing they haven’t yet managed to achieve – winning a Six Nations championship. The Netflix series also spoke to various pundits, ex-players and broadcasters. The role in which Scotland were to be cast soon became clear; they are the great entertainers. They are the team that everyone else loves to watch. A team who are exciting but inconsistent, an enigma who can enthral and exasperate at any given moment.

Pierre Schoeman leads Scotland in training as they warm-up for their Six Nations opener. Gregor Townsend has optimism and positivity ahead of the Italy game at Murrayfield. Finn Russell admits that a level of expectation is on Scotland in this year's championship. Yet, beyond their role as entertainers, there is now a very real possibility that they could end up being the great under-achievers, too. Scotland have never won a Six Nations. More than that, they have never even been in contention heading into the final weekend.

All of this despite Gregor Townsend having what is widely viewed as the best Scotland squad in a generation at his disposal. As he prepares for his eighth crack at the tournament as a head coach, we are left wrestling with a difficult question. Might these Scotland players be the great nearly men of the modern era?. Every sport has a team or an individual who nearly win the biggest honours. For all their talents, they leave you with a feeling that they could – and perhaps should – have done more.

The Netherlands and Johan Cruyff were the masters of Total Football in the 70s. They almost won a World Cup, but were beaten in two finals. Colin Montgomerie is one of Europe’s most decorated golfers of all-time, but he never won a major. Jimmy White reached six finals at the Crucible, but never won the World Snooker Championship. Sir Stirling Moss never won a Formula One world title, despite being one of the most gifted drivers ever to sit behind the wheel of a racing car.

At the dawn of a new championship this year, Scotland are trying to free themselves from the tag of being the great nearly men of the Six Nations. Italy are first up at Murrayfield, the first of three home games for Townsend and his players, whose preparations have been hampered by injuries to some key men. Revenge will doubtless be on their minds after the debacle in Rome last year which saw Scotland blow a 12-point lead to lose 31-29.

There’s a very plausible argument that this is Italy’s best team of all-time. They have some serious talent sprinkled throughout their team. Their captain Michele Lamaro is a colossus in the back row. Paolo Garbisi is smart and creative at ten. Italy’s centre combination of Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex is as good a midfield as you’ll find in the championship. Ange Capuozzo is a jet-heeled flyer on the wing, playing his club rugby with Toulouse alongside Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn.

‘Yeah, I believe it’s the strongest Italy team I’ve faced,’ said Scotland co-captain Finn Russell. ‘I think the first game of the tournament is tough for everyone because you’ve not seen what’s going to happen. ‘You get further into the tournament, you get a feel for how teams are trying to play, and I think over the past few years Italy have always had something different and something up their sleeves.

‘So it’s going to be interesting to see if they have something this weekend and how we adapt to that.’. Italy are no longer the whipping boys. It’s Wales who have the misfortune of being hot favourites to end up with the wooden spoon this year. The Azzurri are a team to be reckoned with and respected, as Scotland found to their cost at the Olimpico last year when they collapsed in the second half.

Townsend was probably fortunate to survive that defeat – and to survive a championship where Scotland won only two of their five games in a fourth-place finish. If they were to wind up in a similar position this time around, it would be hard to make the case for him remaining in position to see out the remainder of his contract, which expires in April next year. Even accounting for the fact that Italy have progressed to the point of being genuinely competitive, this is a match in which Scotland dare not fluff their lines. Victory is non-negotiable.