IT HAS been a breakthrough year for Scottish rugby at many different levels; now the Under-20s are convinced they can follow suit and this summer achieve more than any Scots at their level have achieved before.
Historically Scotland have struggled in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, but as the current group prepare to fly to Georgia for this year's tournament, Callum Hunter-Hill, the captain, is convinced they can soar to unprecedented heights.
"We’re hungry and we’re up for it, really up for it," he said. "We can take confidence from beating Australia last year, but we take confidence from everything we do. We are looking to get at least two wins from our group. Eighth is the highest Scotland have ever finished and we would be happy with doing better than that.
"We are just looking to play to the level we are capable of playing. We are a good team and we just need to play to our capabilities and our potential. We are confident and up for it."
The Scots open against New Zealand, and then face Ireland, who beat them by only a point in the Six Nations, and Italy, who they beat comprehensively. After the pool stage, the competition divides into three bands – two wins would give Scotland an outside chance of reaching the top tier or a guaranteed place in the middle group.
A warm-up game against Wales which turned out to be a huge improvement on the Six Nations clash, and a training hit-out against the full Scotland side have boosted confidence even further.
"It was good to get a hit out against a talented team," he said of the Wales game. "When we played them in the Six Nations, it was a different result, and that speaks volumes. We are definitely more physical. We can be a lot more accurate, that is something we can bring into the World Cup.
"We’ve trained hard. We lacked a bit of fitness in the Six Nations, so we have done a ton of fitness as a group. We are pretty direct, pretty big and physical.
"Our systems are good, we’re well drilled and organised. Sometimes – when we come up against teams like New Zealand – we’re not the most talented, but we are definitely organised. We know our systems and know our strengths. Our set piece is a strength. We have good fast backs as well."
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