Scots will need to get a rush on

The Russians are coming for Scotland. So are Ireland and Japan, with Samoa likely to join them.

With next year’s World Cup on the horizon, Scotland’s qualification group is taking shape.

With Romania thrown out this week for fielding ineligible players, the Russians will take their place in Pool A.

Gregor Townsend would have been requesting DVDs be sent to him of the Russian qualification campaign as he didn’t think he would be facing them until this week.

They are rated 19th in the world and should not, in all probability, cause too many problems.

They are simply a physical side with no real rugby finesse.

Scotland will get a feel as to what they will be like when they play the hard men of Georgia in back-toback World Cup warm-ups.

Samoa will play either Germany or Portugal in a play-off for the final place in Scotland’s group.

Neither european side will be a match for them.

The South Sea Islanders — regardless how they play the rest of the year — always rise to the occasion at the World Cup and will be no pushovers.

With the make-up of the section now all but settled, it looks like the first group game between Six Nations champions Ireland and Scotland in Yokohama on Sunday, September 22, will be crucial to who finishes first and second.

Let’s hope the Scots are quick out of the blocks.