The National:

JUST a few short months after the Scottish men’s national football team qualified for their first major tournament in 23 years, the rugby team broke an even older record.

Gregor Townsend’s boys beat England at Twickenham for the first time since 1983.

They did so in convincing fashion, setting up the tantalising possibility of the team winning their first-ever Six Nations – having failed to win the trophy since triumphing in the final Five Nations event in 1999.

It would be a remarkable victory for the Scots, with four other teams more fancied by the bookies ahead of the tournament.

Unlikely, yes. But impossible?

Yes again if you’re sports betting company bwin.

The firm has been left with egg on its face after writing off Scotland’s chances before a ball had been kicked.

In a Twitter poll conducted last week, the company asked its followers: “Who wins the 2021 Six Nations?”

The National:

England won the vote with a whopping 73.3%, trailed by Wales, France and Ireland.

But with only four answers allowed on a Twitter poll, Scotland and Italy were conspicuous in their absence – leading Twitter users to questions the wisdom of the exercise.

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“No wonder people are sick of betting companies in sport,” one person wrote.

Another added: “Seems bizarre not to include Scotland instead of Wales when they finished higher than the latter last year.”

One Twitter user asked: “No Scotland or Italy included? Thought it was the 6 nations?”

Scotland’s absence from the survey became even more obvious after their victory on Saturday, with Scots quick to make that point to bwin, which has been flooded with responses from Scots.

The lesson in all this? Write off Scotland at your peril.