By Mark Orlovac

Hadden signed a new contract with Scotland last December

Scotland coach Frank Hadden says the form of Edinburgh and Glasgow this season makes his side serious contenders for the Six Nations title.

Edinburgh are third in the Magners League and have beaten Leicester in the Heineken Cup while Glasgow defeated Biarritz and pushed Saracens close.

"We deserve the right to be going in believing we have got as good a chance as anybody," said Hadden.

"There is a sense of confidence from players coming from a winning culture."

Hadden is in buoyant mood ahead of his third Six Nations campaign after seeing his relatively young side progress to the quarter-finals of the World Cup last October.

And with Edinburgh and Glasgow producing impressive performances this season, while other players are in good form in the English and French leagues, Hadden is confident his players are maturing into a formidable side.

"I think the players have grown and in a lot of different ways," Hadden told BBC Sport. "We discovered that we had the youngest squad in the World Cup and we feel we have made some progress in the last couple of years.

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"Some of our players are now playing in the most successful club sides in Europe and our two home-based professional teams are more successful than they have been for some time.

"This time last year I picked a squad of 30 and there was 18 injured. Now we don't have those injury problems and we are going into this competition with a real chance.

"It's our aim to go to Italy in the last match with us having a say in the outcome of the championship."

Hadden believes the turmoil of last year, which saw the number of professional teams in Scotland reduced to two after the demise of the Borders, while the future of Edinburgh was in doubt, may have been a blessing in disguise.

"I think we have two very good organisations in place," he said. "We didn't necessarily want to contract from three teams but the pressure of financial and playing resources meant that we had to take that decision.

Hadden said his players are still hurting after losing to Argentina

"It means that the two current squads have got more depth than they have had for a while."

Scotland, who last won the title when it was the Five Nations in 1999, missed the chance of reaching their first World Cup semi-final since 1991 when they lost to Argentina at the Stade de France last October.

And Hadden is hoping that the sense of disappointment his squad are still feeling after the World Cup can be used to produce some impressive performances in the Six Nations.

"I'd like to think the players are still hurting," he added.

"That was the feeling I got in the appraisals we did immediately after the World Cup - there was more frustration than I have come across before.

"Sometimes as coaches you think that they do not hurt as much as you do but I sensed they were hurting as well - that can be a pretty powerful tool."

Scotland finished with the Wooden Spoon last year after crushing defeats against England, Italy and France while they narrowly lost to Ireland at Murrayfield.

It's really important to get off to a good start Scotland coach Frank Hadden

This year however, will see a repeat of the fixtures in 2006, a competition which saw Scotland finish third with famous victories over France and England in Edinburgh.

Scotland open up against France on 3 February and although new coach Marc Lievremont has named a much-changed squad, Hadden is expecting to face an experienced side at Murrayfield.

"I'd be surprised if they did not field a very experienced starting XV, full of players we are very familiar with," he said.

"I'd be surprised if they went with some of the youngsters they have brought in even though they are very talented players.

"It's really important for us to get off to a good start. We are delighted we have a home match as our first game. If we can set the ball rolling with a win then in this short, sharp competition, anything is possible.

"We felt frustration that we did not fulfil our potential at the World Cup and the players are really determined to show what we are capable of."