SCOTLAND prop WP Nel has insisted that his team can win the Rugby World Cup despite being rated as rank outsiders by the bookmakers.
The Scots had to struggle all the way to see off Samoa at St James’ Park two days ago and set up a quarter-final against Australia on Sunday. Few people outside the camp will give them a chance of beating the Wallabies at Twickenham, but Nel thinks that provided they continue to believe in themselves, they can win that match and go on to lift the trophy.
“It’s the quarter-finals now, so everything is game by game,” he said. “The ball can bounce either way, so we can go to the final, we can win this World Cup, it just depends how we go out. I think we can back ourselves to go and win this World Cup.
“We’re in the quarter-finals, so every team now will regard each match almost like a final. We must play every game as if it is a final, so it will be a really tough battle for every team now.”
South African-born Nel only joined the national squad earlier this year after qualifying through the residency rule. He has quickly become a valuable member of the side, but downplayed his own contribution.
“I will not say I have helped them get into the quarter-final, but to be with this team and get this opportunity with them is massive,” he said. “For me as person, it’s a tremendous honour to play for Scotland and to play for this team. To be in the quarter-finals is an awesome achievement.”
Scotland have emerged from their 36-33 victory over Samoa with as clean a bill of health as could be expected, according to team doctor James Robson. Every player who was involved in Saturday’s bruising battle is feeling the pain, but with eight days between games Robson believes the coaches will have a full squad from which to select for the Australia game.
“There probably isn’t a single member of the squad that isn’t feeling something today,” he said. “They’re pretty sore, but I’d expect that everybody would be fit later in the week. We’ll spend a couple of days recovering, and on average it takes four days before people feel they’re back to square one after a game like that.”
Today Scotland travel from Newcastle, their base for the last fortnight, to Guildford, where they will prepare for Sunday’s quarter-final. The squad for that match will be announced on Thursday.
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