Darge: We’ve got to down the big dogs

By BRYN PALMER

SCOTLAND

Coach: Gregor Townsend

Captain: Finn Russell

IF Scotland are to cause a sensation on the opening weekend of the World Cup and down defending champions South Africa, they will have to create their own slice of tournament history. The Scots have never beaten a higher-ranked team at any of the nine previous global gatherings.

A 20-20 draw with then Grand Slam champions France at the inaugural World Cup in 1987 was the closest they have come, while a devastating one-point loss to Australia in the 2015 quarter-finals after a contentious last-minute penalty award still rankles in tartan hearts.

But despite a record of only two wins – both at Murrayfield – in 20 meetings with South Africa since 1994, including two defeats during Gregor Townsend's tenure, Scotland flanker Rory Darge insists the current side have the belief and confidence to beat the Boks in Marseille on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Glasgow Warrior is poised to get the nod at openside after starting their final two warm-up Tests alongside captain Jamie Ritchie and No.8 Jack Dempsey in the back row.

Darge started the summer series by leading Scotland for the first time against Italy and, after helping secure a comeback victory over France at Murrayfield as a replacement, he played a major role as the Scots fought back from 27-10 down to take the World Cup hosts to the wire in Saint-Etienne.

“There is confidence and a bit of excitement because I think we have shown we can go toe to toe with the best, especially in the away game against France, in a hostile environment,” Darge said.

“They had their home crowd behind them and we went the full 80 minutes with them. We were gutted we didn't get the result, it was such a close game, but that is something we can take a huge amount of confidence from.

“It is just about turning those games into wins and if so we're in a really good place. We've had a belief about us despite being down a fair bit on the scoreboard. We have come back into it. It's hard to explain, it is just a feeling you have out on the pitch. You think ‘we're not out of this'.”

Darge, who was still playing for Melrose four years ago, admits the last two years have been “a whirlwind” since joining Glasgow in 2021 and swiftly announcing himself as a Test-class operator.

A knee injury delayed his Scotland bow until the 2022 Six Nations, when he marked his first Test start against France with a try, while an ankle injury meant he missed both the autumn series and Six Nations last season before returning at the tail-end of Glasgow's campaign.

As a result he enters this tournament fresh and fired up for the biggest test of his burgeoning career.

“The buzzword for the Boks is their physicality – that is what everyone says and they are right,” he said. “But we're pretty physical as well now. We showed that against France. They have got some of the best ball-carriers in the world but at times our defence was outstanding in stopping that threat.

“I think we can take confidence from that and we will go into the game with belief but we know we've got to be on it. They are an unbelievable side, but we want to beat South Africa. To be involved from the start would be an absolute dream.”

While much will depend on Scotland's pack fronting up in the set-pieces and contact areas, their attacking game has the potential to trouble any opponent. Scotland scored 15 tries in their four warmup Tests, with the three wingers in their squad – Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn – all scoring three apiece.

Graham, who withdrew from the side to face Georgia with a quad strain, is expected to train on Monday after the squad's arrival in Nice today and be fit to face the Boks.

The Edinburgh winger, who has 19 tries in 35 Tests, will resume his duel with Van der Merwe – whose brace against Georgia took him to 20 from 31 – as they chase Stuart Hogg's Scottish record of 27.

“Me and Duhey are having a laugh about that, it's just a race to see who's going to get there first,” he said. “We've got so many dangerous backs now anyone could score tries. It is all coming together really nicely with the forwards as well, so it is exciting times ahead.

“But we're just focused on going over there and taking it one game at a time. First up, it's the big dogs in South Africa, so that is almost your World Cup final right there.”