Rugby: A rose among rising thistles

Andy Robinson. Photo / Getty Images

Those who enjoy tempting fate will have already mapped out various World Cup scenarios and seen that Scotland are a probable quarter-final opponent for the All Blacks.

In previous tournaments - 1987, 1995 and 1999 - the Scots have been stiff but not overly threatening. In the 11 years since the last knockout encounter, the Scots have fallen off the edge of the world.

They tumbled into a rugby abyss, plagued by their lack of money, lack of players and misguided notion that second-rate New Zealand players would somehow save them.

Their only victories came when they could line up a minnow in their sights - and even then the kill was only guaranteed if the likes of Italy and Samoa had been previously wounded.

A renaissance began last year, however, under the coaching of Andy Robinson. Booted by England in 2006, Robinson ended up coaching Edinburgh, full of hurt and disillusioned at the way it all ended at Twickenham.

Far from being a place to mope, Edinburgh was his road to salvation - the capital club being a notorious under-achiever. Robinson turned them around in weeks rather than months and both club and coach began clawing back much of the respect that had been lost in previous years.

For Robinson the journey took the most unexpected twist. A proud flanker for England before his coaching career, he was offered the Scotland job.

The enemy being let into the citadel, it was a risk for both parties. But Robinson got immediate results and the fact he once wore the red rose seemed not to bother either the players or fans.

A coveted win came against Australia this time last year then a draw with England and a victory against Ireland at Croke Park. When the Scots beat the Pumas in back-to-back tests in Argentina five months ago, they jumped into new territory - that of having to be taken seriously.

"From a long way out we have seen an improvement in Scotland," says All Black assistant coach Wayne Smith. "Teams are clearly targeting the law changes, they have understood the advantages the team with ball in hand gets and I think everyone is going to develop that type of game.

"I remember in 2008 Scotland played a really expansive game against us and they spread everything. They were quite a handful actually. Then they went into Six Nations and they seemed to put that game away.

"But the law suits that [wider game] and we have seen a lot more of that in the Six Nations from them. Their latest results point to that - beating Argentina in two tests is significant. I think they have been building nicely. They have a big pack and some pretty good backs too, with the Lamont brothers and Graeme Morrison in the midfield."

Admittedly it's from a low base but the Scots have been the biggest improvers in European rugby in the last year. They are a dark horse to win the Six Nations when it comes around and, while that might be a step too far, they should at least reach the World Cup with confidence and momentum.

Their prospects for continued growth look good. They have a loose trio that is as good as any in world rugby - Johnnie Beattie, John Barclay and Kelly Brown are known as the Killer Bs, although the former won't play this morning due to injury.

Euan Murray is the tight-head who crushed Jamie Mackintosh on debut two years ago and Nathan Hines is a lock with the sort of nasty edge Isaac Ross would dearly love.

They have a silly number of halfbacks who are genuine test footballers and in the Lamont brothers have two finishers who can score tries against the best teams.

Their chronic weakness is at first five-eighths where they still rely on the limited Dan Parks. A former Australian club player, Parks has eked out 50 caps on being in possession of a metronomic right boot that can pound the ball into the furthest places on the field.

He sits in the pocket and lets the game build around him rather than the other way round. Without a dynamic presence and a ball-playing No10, the Scots will do what they have always done at World Cup quarter-finals and offer the All Blacks 50 minutes of resistance.