Columnist Ruth Wishart writes about the open training session held by the Scotland rugby squad in Clydebank recently – when some of Helensburgh's young rugby players had a chance to meet their heroes.

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How brilliant that the Scottish Six Nations rugby squad are taking their training routine out of Murrayfield and round some of the smaller rugby clubs. And how fabulous that 1,700 folk, young Helensburgh rugby players among them, turned up to watch them when they touched down at Clydebank for a session there.

Scottish rugby has always suffered from being a poor relation in terms of school sports, often played by private schools, but less common at the state variety which still make up well over 90 per cent of our education system.

Only in the Borders is it the kind of sporting religion which breeds local heroes and top talents.

As with players, so too with the fans. Many youngsters grow up in areas where going to rugby matches doesn’t feature on the leisure time radar.

If it doesn’t happen on your patch, you’re much less likely to seek it out. Especially if there’s no family tradition of support.

Gradually that’s changing in Scotland. Not least because, with tiny resources compared to other rugby playing nations, Scotland has, literally, come on to a good game. And given us the role models we crave.

As I write, two of these major talents, Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell, have been ruled out of a return to Six Nations action in Paris this weekend.

But hundreds of thousands of us will be glued to the telly regardless. Because the Scottish team have given us some memorable moments in recent seasons. Let’s hope they’ve saved some more for Saturday afternoon.