Don’t mention the Grand Slam! Gavin Hastings calls for calm after England win

Thrilled though he was with the Calcutta Cup win over England, Gavin Hastings has urged the Scottish rugby public and media not to get carried away.

Gregor Townsend’s side travel to Cardiff this weekend to take on Wales at a ground they haven’t won on for 20 years.

Scotland are in buoyant form but Hastings is not looking beyond the game at the Principality Stadium. He believes the visitors are favourites to win in Wales but won’t entertain talk of a Grand Slam at this early stage.

“Don’t even mention those two words!” he says.

“Let’s win on Saturday, OK? Please don’t get carried away with all of this. It’s about Saturday. We’ve started off well. Honestly, let’s keep our feet on the ground. We’ve beaten England – we beat them last year and we didn’t win anything else last year.”

Hastings, of course, was a key member of the last Scotland side to clinch the Grand Slam, winning the title in 1990 in a never-to-be-forgotten winner-takes-all clash against England at Murrayfield.

The former full-back was back at the stadium yesterday with brother and fellow grand-slammer Scott to re-launch the Grand Slam Celebration Dinner for the squads of 1984 and 1990.

The event has been delayed for almost two years due to the pandemic but will now take place on Saturday, May 22 at the EICC in Edinburgh to raise money for Hearts + Balls, a rugby charity which supports players who suffer life-changing injuries.

While both brothers fervently hope the current side can emulate the teams of ’84 and ’90, they are mindful of Scotland coming a cropper against Wales last year after beating England in the opener.

“I look back to the squads of 1984 and 1990. Nobody was thinking ahead, it was literally the next game,” said Scott Hastings. “They just