Scotland coach Andy Robinson revealed his plans for the World Cup are in full flow after announcing he already knows the majority of his squad heading to New Zealand.
Robinson insists he has pencilled in 25 of his 30-man squad, leaving the remaining 14 players in the 39-man preliminary squad to battle it out for the remaining five places.
Warm up tests against Ireland and Italy in August will go some way to making Robinson’s mind up and the former England boss maintains the door is still wide open for his charges to stake their claim.
“I know 25 of the squad who will be going, so there are 14 players fighting out for those five places,” Robinson said.
“Everyone has an opportunity and that’s the great thing about the training camp. Each day you’re able to see players, how they can work, the consistency of performance, but also the desire they have to get in the squad.
“The guys who were rested after the Six Nations – Richie Gray, Al Kellock – I’ll be looking for them to start in those games. Other players that haven’t played for Scotland might get an opportunity to start. It will all come down to what’s best for us looking at the preparations.
“They’re doing well, we’ve got some cracking characters. David Denton and Rob Harley have worked well together, but also they’ve got different attributes and it’s great to see the desire that they have to get in the squad.
“We want to get a winning mentality first and foremost, but we also want to challenge the work we’ve done strength and conditioning wise in those games and challenge the technical aspects of the game.
“There’s a lot to gain from both games. There’s a real benefit we can get.”
