I would love it if a Hawick boy like Hoggy broke my try record

Scotland rugby legend tony Stanger knows a thing or two about scoring international tries.

With 24 to his name, he is the joint-top try scorer for his country and a national hero after his famous touchdown against England in the 1990 Grand Slam game.

John Jeffrey picks the ball up at the scrum, Gary armstrong carries it on before Gavin Hastings kicks ahead. Stanger races after it, beats Rory Underwood, catches it above his head and touches it down.

nobody will ever take that magic moment away from him. His Scotland try-scoring record is a different matter. First set by winger Ian Smith way back in 1933, it stood for 65 years until Stanger came along.

He equalled it in his final international match against England at Murrayfield in 1998 when he earned his 52nd cap.

Stanger (pictured) believes it is only a matter of time before his record is broken, especially with the type of attacking rugby Scotland are playing under Gregor townsend.

With their desire to lay down a marker against Italy in Rome today, he expects the tries to be in abundance and his record to be chipped away at a little bit more.

Full-back Stuart Hogg, winger tommy Seymour and centre Huw Jones — who all start against Italy — are the men who could threaten Stanger’s joint-record total.

Hogg is only 25 but already has 17 tries in 59 games. Seymour, 29, has 16 in 42 international appearances.

Huw Jones, 24, has already scored ten tries in only 15 matches after making his debut against Japan in tokyo in the summer of 2016.

‘they are all great finishers and it is just a question of who gets to my total first,’ said Stanger. ‘I have been proud to share the record for 20 years or so with Ian Smith but I know it won’t stand for much longer.

‘Hoggy, Jones and Seymour have lots of tries. It is only a matter of time. this year? next year?

‘Hopefully one of them, or all of them, can get on the scoresheet against Italy. It could happen as they are all capable of moments of magic.

‘the quality of this Scotland team, and the way Gregor townsend has them playing, suits that three and that’s why I know the try-scoring record will be beaten by one of them.

‘Gregor has the same attacking philosophy he had as a player.

‘the more tries they score, the more games Scotland will win.’

Stanger has huge respect for the trio but makes no secret of the man he wants to take his joint record.

‘I’d be happy for any of them to get there first but Hoggy is from Hawick just like me,’ said the 49-year-old.

‘I played rugby with his father and I remember Stuart running about as a wee laddie. I am that old!

‘For someone from Hawick to jointly hold the record and for someone from Hawick to come along and beat it would be fantastic.

‘For me, Stuart is one of the best players in the world and a fantastic full-back. He hasn’t scored a try yet in the Six nations but he has been good in other ways. He has electric pace and someone who can leave defenders behind him. He can add to his total against Italy.’

although Scotland are struggling to win on the road, it wasn’t a problem for Stanger in his first season as an international player.

‘In my first six games I got six wins, four in my first Five nations when we won the Grand Slam,’ said the winger, who made his debut against Fiji at Murrayfield in 1989.

‘If Scotland want to win the Grand Slam or the championship they have to win away from home regularly.

‘But this is a Scotland team on the up. My joint record is going to go soon and the results are going to get better under Gregor. With the World cup coming along this is a good time for Scottish rugby.’