Scotland play the first of three exacting pool matches in the Junior World Championship on Monday at the QBE Stadium in Auckland, where the young Scots take on 2012 winners South Africa.
Four days later Scotland can anticipate a physical encounter with Samoa ahead of facing the hosts, New Zealand, in the final round of pool matches.
It could hardly have been a tougher pool for the Scots, who would not have expected to have South Africa and New Zealand in the same pool. "That's the draw and we've just got to get on with it. It's a challenge for all of us" said Scotland Under-20 head coach Sean Lineen.
Of the 28-strong Scotland squad there are four Midlanders involved, props Cameron Fenton (Howe of Fife) and Zander Fagerson (Ex-Dundee HS), No.8 Jamie Ritchie (Strathallan and Howe of Fife) and Shaun MacDonald (Stirling County).
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