Scotland capable of upsetting odds at World Cup

CAPE TOWN : Scotland have been nothing if not consistent at the World Cup, reaching at least the quarter-finals in seven of their nine previous appearances but they will need to produce an upset if they are to reach that stage this time round.

Scotland have been paired with holders South Africa and Six Nations champions Ireland in Pool B, reducing their chances of making the knockouts but there is little doubt their more fancied opponents will be wary of the threat they pose.

They have proven capable of producing upsets, as they showed at Twickenham in February when they beat England.

"We’re fit enough, we’ve got the game and we’ve got the players to take on any team we come up against,” warned their coach Gregor Townsend, who pronounced himself particularly pleased with their preparation.

They beat Italy and France at home, lost narrowly to the French a week later in St Etienne and then rounded off their warm-up programme with a comfortable win over Georgia.

"There were elements where we can improve and that will come, and it has come because we’ve seen improvement right throughout the season," added Townsend. "I am so proud of not just the effort but that resilience and collective belief the players have built over the last few weeks and last few months.”

Scotland have traditionally had a relatively small pool of players to pick from.

Yet this time Townsend has been almost spoilt for choice having seen his squad grow in recent years, particularly with players recruited through ancestry or after serving three years with Scottish clubs.

The South African-born pair of Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe have become cult heroes while Australian-born Sione Tuipulotu, who has a grandmother from Greenock, has dislodged British