Duhan van der Merwe admits Stuart Hogg Scotland record IS on his mind but it's not the ultimate goal

Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe says team goals are more important than personal accolades...but does have Stuart Hogg's try record in his sights.

The 28 year old is just one try away from matching Hogg's record as Scotland's top try-scorer, after scoring a stunning hat-trick in the recent Calcutta Cup victory over England. But Van Der Merwe insists his focus is on helping Scotland succeed, not on personal glory. He has scored five tries in this year's Six Nations, moving him into second place on Scotland's all-time list. If he scores again, he will equal Hogg's record of 27 tries. Despite being well aware of history in the making, Van der Merwe says he won't let it distract him as Scotland prepare for their upcoming matches against Italy and Ireland.

"It's something I targeted coming into the Six Nations, to see if I could do it (catch Hogg) in the Six Nations," Van der Merwe said. "I knew it was a big task and there's obviously still two games left... But the most important thing is the team, it's not about myself.

"If that means I have to chase box-kicks and not score tries or give the pass to someone else, then so be it. It's all about the team and us getting the wins. We want to start winning stuff as a team and the next two games are massive for us.

When asked about the chance of making history at the famous Stadio Olimpico in Rome soon, Van der Merwe admitted: "It's probably in the back of my mind, but I wouldn't say I'm going into the game just thinking about myself and thinking about how I can score as an individual.

"For me, the team is always first. If that means I have to give the pass and not score myself, then I have to do it. If I don't score but we get the win, I'll be a happy man."

Van der Merwe has made