Scotland Sevens won the Plate trophy at the Manchester Sevens yesterday, after beating Belgium 33-7 in the second-tier final.

Finishing fifth above core IRB World Series teams Wales and Portugal meant that Calum MacRae, the Scots' new head coach, marked his first tournament in charge with silverware.

However, the former short-game player knows there is much work still to be done ahead of the forthcoming HSBC Sevens World Series.

He said: "This is a good starting point for this group, however we have to keep setting our standards higher so the expectation levels of the team rises.

"We were one of the highest try scoring teams this weekend. I know this team can score tries, so I have asked them to raise the consistency of their performances in their defence."

Across the weekend, at the A J Bell Stadium, the home of Sale Sharks, the Scots won four of six games. On Saturday, after losing 5-12 to Spain they grew in confidence and saw off Italy, 24-19 and then Georgia 45-0, setting them up for a Cup quarter-final with Russia yesterday.

Poor discipline cost the Scots that match but they got back to winning ways against Germany in the Plate semi-final, prevailing 35-12.

That sent them into the final, in which they defeated the Belgians, with Nyle Godsmark, the Edinburgh Accies full-back, the stand-out player.