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PARIS - Scotland's dashing fullback Rory Lamont will be part of a very special club on Sunday when he lines-up for the World Cup quarter-final with Argentina - he will be part of history indeed as the first time an international test match has three pairs of brothers in the contest.
The 24-year-old will play alongside brother Sean, while on the Pumas side there will be the Contepomi twins and the Fernandez Lobbe brothers - but Rory shoved this matter aside to say he was confident this Scottish side could emulate their compatriots of 1991 and make the semi-finals.
"We've reached our primary goal (of making the quarter-finals)," said Lamont, who scored on his international debut in 2005 against Wales.
"From here, we have a lot of self-belief. I am pretty confident we can beat Argentina," added Lamont, who played in the two sides last meeting in November 2005 where still to the amazement of those who played that day the Scots lost the match 23-19.
Lamont, who is two years younger than Sean, said he wasn't slighted by the fact that Scotland were the underdgos, indeed it was to his mind probably a benefit.
"Scotland as underdogs is nothing new to us," said Lamont, who has joined Scotland captain Jason White at English Premiership side Sale Sharks for next season.
"We're quite comfortable with that. The pressure is off. It's a different pressure to the Italy game. The external pressure before that game was huge."
However, Lamont admits that Scotland will have to be up to scratch at the breakdown.
"We are definitely going to raise our game," said Lamont, who says he tries to present the best possible image on the pitch so as to set an example to children.
"I have noticed at the start of this championship the best teams have really been competing at the breakdown. The southern hempisphere teams have hammered it at the breakdown, putting in three or four guys.
"The northern hemisphere teams have had two or three guys and if they don't get it straight away they line up at defence and it's something we've been looking at."
Lamont, who has a degree in sports science from Northampton University, said he was hoping to get more of the ball than he did in the nervewracking 18-16 win over Italy last Saturday which saw the Scots make the last eight at the expense of their rivals.
Indeed like the rest of his team-mates this week, he was at pains to insist that Scotland were incapable of running the ball and relied solely on kickers Dan Parks and Chris Paterson to give them their points.
"In this tournament, we haven't shown what we are fully capable of," he said.
"There have been glimpses. Against Italy it was difficult because it was just kicking. Dan Parks is an exceptional kicker and on points, Chris Paterson takes it every time."
- AFP
