So far, so poor for Scotland. The Wales match was one sided, while the France match was largely equal in the displays of ineptitude on offer. With Wales and Ireland roaring on to Grand Slam deciders, the remaining Six Nations find ourselves already fumbling about in the mire looking for some positives we will be able to take from the tournament, and we are only two games in. After a stunning (yet winless) start vs Ireland, France are back "building" for the World Cup in 2011 and don't seem to care all that much about current results. Martin Johnson would probably argue the same thing but pressure on him for results is a lot greater given past glories in white shirts.

Which leaves perennial Wooden Spoon fanciers, Scotland and Italy, two teams at the bottom with more in common than one might suspect.

Our once positive hopes for this tournament have been somewhat sacrificed on the twin altars of injury and lunatic selection. Italy might have had a decent chance against England with an actual scrum-half, while we might have beaten France and shown up against Wales with an actual pack.

We both have a classy back row man in exile at Stade Francais. Theirs, Sergio Parisse, is keeping ours, Simon Taylor, stuck in the second row. Which has helped him fit in with Hadden's crazy game-plans but left him a little more subdued than the ball carrier we are used to. We'll need a big game from him tomorrow, much as Italy need Parisse to maintain his current outstanding form - how Harry Ellis was man of that match baffles me.

Our players are trying to get a foothold in the Magners League. Theirs for the first time, in order to expose home-grown Italians to a better standard of rugby, and ours in order to try and gain some respectability rather than being mid-table stalwarts.

Both teams seem to be going backwards despite recent promise. Nick Mallet has been to some extent limited by what's available for him to pick, and the level of rugby they play, while Frank Hadden has done all sorts of things to try and get a winning team together (usually a week too late). In terms of progress, despite the discovery of new talent - for Scotland in the form of the Evans boys and Euan Murray, and on the other hand Luke Maclean looks decent, if not exactly Italian - we both look about the same place we were two or three years ago. Not terrible, but not going to beat Wales either.

Unfortunately for Scotland, 2 years ago means losing to Italy, at home. I hope in that, at least, things will be different this time around.

Rory Baldwin is the Editor of Scottish Rugby Blog.