Set those alarms and hope we can really go to work!

PLAYING in a World Cup on the other side of the world is about taking yourself out of your comfort zone and creating memories which stay with you forever. Prior to competing in Australia in 2003, for instance, we took it upon ourselves as a squad to really embrace the culture around us.

One of the abiding images in my mind from that tournament is some of the Scotland players — big blokes who didn’t scare easily — looking just a little queasy after having a snake placed round their neck.

Then, when 2007 came around, I had the privilege of being captain, something which brought its own little quirks and perks.

All of the captains were flown out to Paris on a private jet, which had been loaned out by one of the superrich owners of the French clubs.

I was picked up at Edinburgh and, for one day only, given the rock star treatment. It was nice, but I always felt more at home covered in mud at the bottom of a ruck.

I looked around at some of the other captains — John Smit, Richie McCaw, Brian O’Driscoll — real superstars of the world game and that’s when it all hit home for me.

It’s all about throwing yourself head-first into the experience and immersing yourself in your surroundings because, if you don’t, then the time spent away from home can really play on your mind.

I was fortunate in 2003 because I was fairly young back then and I was still at a stage in my life where I just lived and breathed rugby.

The homesickness wasn’t really an issue for me. But, now being a father, I can fully understand the issues facing some of the guys.

The likes of Greig Laidlaw, Stuart Hogg, John Barclay, Ryan Wilson and Jamie Ritchie all have young kids and it must be so tough leaving them for a prolonged period of time.

The thing that will focus their minds, though, is the scale of the opportunity that they now have in their hands over the next few weeks.

They have a chance not only to write their names into Scottish rugby folklore, but to transcend that and become national icons across the wider sporting spectrum.

If they play to their potential, there’s no reason why they can’t go deep into the tournament, capturing the imagination of the country and becoming heroes in the process.

World Cups can be career-defining. There is no bigger stage on which to perform and represent the nation.

It won’t fully hit home until the squad sit down together on Friday and watch the opening game between Japan and Russia, two of their opponents in Pool A.

That’s when all the niceties stop and when you really have to focus in on the job that you are there to do.

I remember watching the opening game in the team room in 2007, when Argentina pulled off a shock to beat the hosts France. You just never know what can happen.

The possibilities are limitless because I truly believe this is the most wide open World Cup we have seen for a long time.

Yes, the All Blacks are still favourites, but not in the same way they have been in the past couple of tournaments. They are beatable.

First up for Scotland will be Ireland in Yokohama next Sunday. Come win, lose or draw, the key is to make sure we are competitive.

We need to have some sort of momentum to take forward into the games against Russia and Samoa, before the all-important final match against Japan.

We can’t afford a repeat of the performance we saw against France in Nice a few weeks ago. To ship 30-odd points just drains so much momentum out of the camp.

Ireland go into the tournament ranked No1 in the world, but that’s not quite a realistic view of where they are at the moment.

They have players who have won Grand Slams and been integral to the Lions over the past couple of tours, but, like the All Blacks, they can be beaten.

The key to Scotland’s chances, not just against the Irish but across the tournament as a whole, is finding a way to get the job done on unfamiliar territory.

Over the past couple of years since Gregor Townsend took charge, there have been a couple of standout results away from home against Australia and Argentina.

But our consistency on the road has been found wanting at times. We’ll have a few fans over in Japan, but it’ll be the Lion’s Den compared to the sanctuary of BT Murrayfield.

The man who could really spark us into life could well be Darcy Graham, who was outstanding in the warm-up games, particularly in the final match against Georgia.

Confidence can carry you such a long way in sport and I have no doubt he’s riding high on the crest of a wave right now heading into the tournament.

Tommy Seymour has the edge on him in terms of experience and aerial ability, which will be important against Ireland’s kicking game.

But I would have no issues with Graham starting on the wing next Sunday. He has earned it.

The other intriguing selection call will come at scrum-half, where I expect Townsend to opt for the experience of Laidlaw, with Ali Price providing the spark off the bench.

All in all, I can’t wait for it to begin. Just remember to set your alarm for the early kick-off next Sunday morning.

It’ll be a game not to be missed.