It is almost impossible to find a Scot to put an optimistic slant on Sunday's Calcutta Cup encounter at Murrayfield, certainly not the disgruntled taxi driver who insisted yesterday that Scotland's only hope was to cancel the rugby and take on England at golf.
As England's choice of team hotel now seems to be based on whether Clive Woodward can see a fairway or an airport from his bedroom window, even that alternative strategy may soon be flawed and there was nothing in the coach's team announcement at Dalmahoy yesterday to lift the local gloom.
With the exception of Phil Vickery's return at prop after concussion at the expense of Darren Garforth, who featured against Italy, the starting line-up and replacements bench have been identical for the entire Six Nations season, to the extent that Woodward may have to start turning up in a ginger wig and Rab C Nesbitt string vest to keep his audience interested.
England, though, are deadly serious about the job ahead and any confidence imbued by their extended run of luck with injuries has been counterbalanced by their desire not to underestimate a Scotland side seemingly not just short on eligible, fit players but in-form ones as well.
Woodward, again citing last year's Wembley Grand Slam disappointment against Wales as a cautionary tale, has seen enough to argue that these are precisely the circumstances "when Scotland are at their most dangerous".
"When they're in a corner they can only do one thing. They'll be a very easy team to coach this week," he insisted. "We all learnt a big lesson last year when we were red-hot favourites against Wales and lost. France were 33 to one to beat the All Blacks in the World Cup semi-final and they won."
Aubin Hueber, 33 next Wednesday, returns at scrumhalf for France against Italy in Paris on Saturday for the first time since the 1995 World Cup. He will link with the recalled Alain Penaud.
England (v Scotland): M Perry (Bath); A Healey (Leicester), M Tindall (Bath), M Catt (Bath), B Cohen (Northampton); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), M Dawson (Northampton, capt), J Leonard (Harlequins), P Greening (Wasps), P Vickery (Gloucester), G Archer (Bristol), S Shaw (Wasps), R Hill (Saracens), N Back (Leicester), L Dallaglio (Wasps). Replacements: N McCarthy (Gloucester), T Woodman (Gloucester), M Corry (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), A Gomarsall (Bedford), A King (Wasps), I Balshaw (Bath).
France (v Italy): T Castaignede (Castres), P Bernat-Salles (Biarritz), R Dourthe (Dax), E Ntamack (Toulouse), D Bory (Montferrand), A Penaud (Toulouse), A Hueber (Toulon), C Califano (Toulouse), M Dal Maso (Colomiers), F Tournaire (Toulouse), F Pelous (Toulouse, capt), O Brouzet (Begles-Bordeaux), O Magne (Montferrand), T Lievremont (Perpignan), L Mallier (Brive). Replacements: R Ibanez (Perpignan), P De Villiers (Stade Francais), H Miorin (Toulouse), A Benazzi (Agen), C Laussucq (Stade Francais), C Heymans (Agen), D Venditti (Brive).
