With the February 3 home clash against France fast approaching, Graham believes the squad now have the ability and the self-belief necessary to become serious contenders.

“We had a relatively good World Cup, although I was bitterly disappointed with the performance in the quarter-final, and since then a lot of the players have gone from strength to strength,” Graham said.

“The confidence is building in the squad. So, without getting too carried away, I am looking forward to the challenge these boys are going to present in the Six Nations.”

“For a lot of them, this will be their second or third Six Nations under this management team. We know where we are with these players, and I’m really, really looking forward to this campaign.”

Graham believes the success of Scotland’s two club sides in the Heineken Cup at the weekend has boosted confidence in the squad.

Glasgow ground out their first Heineken Cup victory on the road in over a decade against Viadana, while Edinburgh achieved a notable victory over Leicester at Murrayfield.

Graham said: “I spent six years playing at Newcastle Falcons and only beat Leicester twice, and that was in the first year when we won the championship, so to beat them is a great thing for Edinburgh.

“And Glasgow got a fantastic win - albeit a scrappy one - away to Viadana, which is great because to win away from home in the European Cup is a big ask. It is really tough to do that.

“Our inferiority complex has diminished in recent years. A lot of our boys play outside Scotland now so they are used to winning regularly, and I think the fact that the Scottish clubs are winning now as well means that there is definitely an air of confidence in our the squad - there was a spring in our step.

“That was especially the case during the scrummage session. There was boys who have tended to be quiet in the past stepping up and taking charge of sessions, whereas that would normally be left to the more experienced guys. It has been really, really pleasing to see that.”