Tim Visser hopes both he and “the perfect pro” Sean Lamont are in Scotland’s final Rugby World Cup squad named tomorrow.
Desperate to be the first “ex-Dutchman” to play at the game’s premier tournament, Visser believes that the veteran Lamont, now 34, also deserves a place after both bagged try doubles in Scotland’s record 48-7 rout of Italy in Saturday’s warm-up game at BT Murrayfield.
It would be Lamont’s third World Cup, and the “squad-father” has played all 80 minutes of all three warm-ups so far, something that doesn’t surprise his team mates.
“It shows what a character he is and how he looks after his body,” said Visser. “He is still one of the strongest in the team and really is the perfect pro.
“That is maybe why he is still around now. If I make it to that age I would be delighted; I don’t think I will but it shows all the hard work he puts in behind the scenes to get there at that age.”
For himself, however, Visser knows his two-try strike including an interception close to his own line he took back 90 metres for a score at the other end can’t have done anything but helped him.
“It is massive for me, no ex-Dutchman has ever gone to the World Cup,” he joked. “Playing for Scotland is a massive honour but going to a World Cup is another step above and one I am determined to make.
“I felt I had a good game against Ireland and I have put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes to get my speed and power back.
“That is something since I lost since my leg injury (last year). It has taken a lot of hard work to get back to where I was.
“It’s something I took for granted in those years with Edinburgh, especially early on. I was getting round defenders relatively easily and that is something that is coming back to me now. Ireland put me personally under a little bit less pressure going into this game because I felt I had that power back and I could use that to my benefit and I guess it showed me out there today.”
The squad selection, which head coach Vern Cotter was making with his management team yesterday but won’t be revealed until tomorrow, is now out of the player’s hands.
“‘We haven’t done anything yet,” said Cotter about Saturday’s win. “We need to roll our sleeves up, keep rolling them up, and dig our toes in the soil. Because the work isn’t finished yet. We’ve got a lot to do.
“We’ve got players who can play several positions, and we’re still waiting for a full update on injuries before we do anything, even decide whether it’ll be an 18-13 or 17-14 split (between forwards and backs).”
The question of Alex Dunbar, still not returned from ACL surgery, is one that is exercising the head coach’s mind.
“Alex is one of two things. He can be selected and play a Pro 12 game, not be selected and do the same thing but still be involved later.
“There are a couple of theories on that. We’re still waiting for the dust to settle from this match.”
Scotland complete their preparations against France in Paris next week, and Cotter expects a much stiffer test.
“We know they are very, very powerful, the French. You saw that against England,” he continued.
“One of our themes has been trying to develop power and add it to our game. We will have to work extra hard to do that in Paris.
“They don’t give you much room to move, they shut you down, take away your space and, once they get hold of you, they throw you round.
“So it will be interesting to see how we play and whether our kicking game will have a big say in the match.”