With several key players now in the prime of their careers, Scotland will head into this year's Six Nations with a team that is in the sweet spot for Test match rugby.
Players such as Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu, Zander Fagerson and Blair Kinghorn could all be in the British & Irish Lions' starting XV for the summer tour of Australia.
Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham will not be far behind and together they are two of the most lethal wingers in the game.
Add Huw Jones to the mix and Scotland's firepower in the backline would be the envy of most teams in world rugby.
Gregor Townsend now has the perfect combination of talent and experience to choose from. The age, experience and profile of this team are absolutely where they need to be if Scotland are to challenge for silverware.
When Townsend named his 37-man squad for the Six Nations, there was no shouting from the rooftops or bold declarations about what Scotland will achieve.
Scotland heads to the Six Nations with a team in a prime spot for Test Match rugby
Duhan van der Merwe (right) and Darcy Graham (left) are two of the deadliest wingers out there
Gregor Townsend now has the perfect combination of talent and experience to select
Scotland would do well not to fall into that trap anymore. Gone are the days of insisting on playing the fastest rugby in the world, only to overpromise and too often underdeliver.
Instead, Townsend was underestimated. There was a quiet acceptance that this was the most talented and settled Scottish team he had had at his disposal.
With three home games left in this year's championship, the first of which was against Italy in just over a fortnight, Scotland really couldn't have wished for a better hand. It will be something of a revenge mission against the Azzurri after last year's calamitous defeat in Rome, but Townsend knows now is the time to deliver for this group of players.
If they can take care of the Italians on the opening weekend, then it's Ireland's visit to Murrayfield in the second round where things could get really interesting. That's the key game that could really open the championship for Scotland, and if they can get off to a quick start with two straight wins, anything will look possible.
Townsend, of course, has never beaten Ireland. They are your nemesis. Since a 29-22 home win at the start of the 2017 championship, they have also been Scotland's nemesis. But, with Andy Farrell not in charge due to his commitments to the Lions, this is as good an opportunity as any to change that narrative.
No one expects the green machine to suddenly fall apart in Farrell's absence. Simon Easterby will earn the respect of his team and is a good manager in his own right. But Farrell's absence will make the difference. It will open a window of opportunities for other teams. It has to be like this. Otherwise, what's the point of a head coach?
Townsend expects it to be an incredibly close tournament. He reckons France could simply class them as favourites, but also noted that Ireland will have something to prove if people are willing to write them off.
Meanwhile, Fergus Burke is the main inclusion in the Scotland squad. The Saracens flyhalf has pledged his international future to Scotland rather than England. That's a coup: Burke has been a revelation since joining Saracens last summer.
First it will be a revenge mission against Italy after a disastrous performance and defeat last year.
Townsend expects it to be an incredibly close tournament and could break through for Scotland.
If they beat defending champions Ireland in the second round, things could get interesting.
Born in New Zealand and called up in the Under 20 category with the All Blacks, Burke qualifies to play for Scotland thanks to his grandfather from Glasgow. He also qualifies for England through his mother and is understood to have been under serious consideration for a call-up to Steve Borthwick's squad earlier this week.
But, after following the player for more than a year, Townsend believes it is a huge boost that Scotland have acquired the 25-year-old fly-half. Although he is a rookie at Test match level, his performances for Sarries will excite Scottish fans about what he can achieve for the national team.
Along with Tom Jordan, Burke will provide back-up to Finn Russell at flyhalf, with Adam Hastings missing the tournament due to a facial injury.
Given the impact Jordan made in the autumn and the form Burke has shown for a top team in Saracens, suddenly life without Finn doesn't seem so scary. The wardrobe does not seem so simple in terms of the 10 options available. However, the same cannot be said from the beginning.
Zander Fagerson has been one of the strongest in world rugby over the past year. He has been a true machine for Scotland, consistently topping the minutes played.
However, behind him, there really is no one else. Fagerson's fall to second- and third-choice hardheads is significant.
In a championship that can often be so grueling by injuries, that remains a serious concern. But Townsend will cross that bridge when the time comes. In terms of the talent available to him, and with three home games, he will never have a better chance of making this Scottish team challenge for titles.
Dare we dream of a title fight against France in Paris last weekend? Too early for that.
Fergus Burke is the starting inclusion in Scotland squad after picking them over England
In attack, however, there are few options, but Zander Fagerson has been one of the toughest in world rugby.
But if they finally fulfill their potential, Scotland could at least be in those kinds of conversations when the tournament comes to a close. They will once again be led by Tuipulotu, perhaps the in-form center in world rugby at the moment and who captained the team so well in the autumn.
Townsend is under no illusion that Scotland cannot suffer another repeat of the two miserable victories they achieved in last year's championship. If that happened again, it would be impossible to defend his continuity as head coach.