Scotland Rugby World Cup: Darcy Graham on what's changed since 2019 and being better than any opponent

Darcy Graham believes Scotland’s familiarity with each other’s roles can help them escape from the so-called group of death at the Rugby World Cup in France.

Speaking on the eve of their opening match against holders South Africa, the winger said he would back himself against any opponent and painted a contrasting picture between where the squad are now compared to the 2019 tournament. Scotland were knocked out of the World Cup in Japan in the pool phase after defeats by Ireland and the host nation. It was only the second time in nine tournaments that they had failed to make it to the knockout stage and the early exit contributed to Scotland’s tough draw this time around. As well as South Africa, Gregor Townsend’s side must play the Irish, again, Tonga and Romania in Pool B. It means they are up against the sides ranked first and second in the world, with only the top two qualifying.

Graham knows it will be tough but is backing himself and the squad to reach the quarter-finals, and possibly more.

“I honestly don’t bother about who I face,” said Graham who has recovered from a torn thigh muscle and will start on the right wing against the Springboks in Marseille where he will be up against Cheslin Kolbe, one of the world’s best wingers. “When I go into games I don’t care who I play. When I go out onto the pitch I go out there knowing I am better than the player I am coming up against. That might not be the case but in my head I know I am going to win those small battles, I don't care who it is against. I want to play against the best wingers in the world and against the best teams in the world.”

Scotland's wing Darcy Graham (C) and his teammates attend a training session at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, on September 8, 2023, two days before the France 2023 Rugby World Cup match between South Africa and Scotland. (Photo by CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP) (Photo by CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Graham had just broken into the Scotland squad at the last World Cup and has since developed into the side’s most potent attacking weapon with seven tries in his last four Tests, and a total of 19 in 35 matches. He said the team was vastly improved from 2019, particularly in the Finn Russell-orchestrated backline where centres Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones have emerged as creative midfield combination and full-back Blair Kinghorn can supplement the threat posed by Graham and fellow winger Duhan van der Merwe.

“Everyone now knows their roles, they never knew that at the last World Cup,” Graham said. “I don't think everyone was clued in or switched on to their roles. If you ask anyone in our squad they will tell you their roles, the centres chuck it up and facilitate the ball to the boys out wide and Blair and Ollie Smith help to take the pressure off of Finn so he can work his magic. When they do that we have the boys out on the wings to score the tries so everything is laid out very clearly and that’s taken us to where we are now. It’s about having those connections, it’s also about keeping it simple and this squad has been together for ages now.”

The hope for Graham and Scotland is that they are coming to the boil at the right time but so too are the Boks, who defeated New Zealand 35-7 last month. “It’s a huge challenge for us,” added Graham. “Every game is going to be a final for us. It’s a World Cup and we can’t lose a game. We want to kick on and we do want to get to quarter-finals and semi-finals but we are just going to take it one game at a time and try to kick on from there.”