Scotland captain Mike Blair insists under-fire coach Frank Hadden has the full support of his squad. Hadden’s position will be part of a post-Six Nations review, after Scotland failed for a third straight season to achieve their own stipulated minimum requirement of two championship victories.

Blair claims the squad should take responsibility for their disappointing run of results — which now stands at two Six Nations wins in 13 games — and not the management team.

“It’s individual basic errors that are letting the opposition into the game,” he said. “That’s not something the coaching staff can deal with. That’s for the players to deal with.

“The players are 100 per cent behind the current coaching regime.”

Scotland have finished in the bottom two of the Six Nations five times in the last six years, which is the same record as Italy. Saturday’s 26-12 Calcutta Cup defeat by England was Scotland’s 12th in their last 16 matches.

But Hadden believes he has a squad capable of winning the Six Nations — if only he had the the preparation time enjoyed by the likes of England, Ireland and Wales.

He said: “I honestly believe that we can win the championship with this squad. “We have a squad of players that is capable of being very competitive at the very highest level but I am frustrated we don’t get the preparation time we want.

“I still believe we have a squad capable of doing something, with the proper preparation and the time to develop. The fact (other teams) have the control over the players they do makes life much easier for them.

“The two teams with the poorest preparation are at the wrong end of the championship. That’s a fact. There’s absolutely no doubt. England have had eight weeks’ continuous preparation, whereas our guys have been going back and forward (to their clubs).”