Rugby-Scotland hoping to set up Paris 'shootout' with Ireland

Scotland still have a job to do against Romania on Saturday, but inevitably they are thinking ahead to a potential do-or-die clash with Ireland in Paris on Oct. 7 where their fortunes in a tough Rugby World Cup Pool B will be decided. Scotland scored seven tries as they defeated Tonga 45-17 in a bruising encounter in Nice on Sunday to get their campaign up and running following an opening 18-3 loss to South Africa.

Scotland still have a job to do against Romania on Saturday, but inevitably they are thinking ahead to a potential do-or-die clash with Ireland in Paris on Oct. 7 where their fortunes in a tough Rugby World Cup Pool B will be decided.

Scotland scored seven tries as they defeated Tonga 45-17 in a bruising encounter in Nice on Sunday to get their campaign up and running following an opening 18-3 loss to South Africa. Unless there are a shock set of results between now and then, Scotland are likely to head to the French capital knowing victory could see them into the quarter-finals at the expense of the number one ranked side in the world.

It is a tasty carrot being dangled for Gregor Townsend's side, though few outside of the Scotland camp will give them a chance, especially in the wake of Ireland's excellent 13-8 victory over defending champions South Africa on Saturday. "Never write us off," fullback Blair Kinghorn warned. "We did what we needed to do (against Tonga), we'll do what we need to do next week (against Romania), then we'll take it on into Paris. It has got all the makings to be a great night."

Winger Kyle Steyn agrees and says Scotland hope to build further momentum against Romania, who have conceded 158 points in losses to Ireland and South Africa so far, to set up a winner-takes-all showdown. "Damn right we will have something to say about that," he said in response to Scotland's chances of a quarter-final place being written off.

"Our focus will first be on Romania. We will have to get five points there to make sure we have got a shootout when we get to (Paris)." South African-born Steyn admits Ireland will be an immense challenge, but says they will have the advantage of familiarity.

"They were good against South Africa," he said. "They are a team we play every year (in the Six Nations) so we know how to beat them, but it's whether we can put in the performance on the pitch. "We knew coming to the World Cup it was going to be a tough group, it was never going to be an easy run, but we're ready for that challenge."

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