Different outcome is the aim as Scots face familiar foe in Dubai

Scotland and Wales have the dubious honour of playing the first tie in the opening session today of the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens, the second leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series which began last weekend in Australia.

The Six Nations rivals are again drawn in the same pool and, if the tie is as competitive as last weekend when Wales won narrowly with a last gasp score, then those spectators turning up early can expect a thriller.

“It was 14-12 last weekend. Had we managed to control possession for the last 40 seconds we would have beaten Wales” reflected Scotland sevens coach, Graham Shiel. “We want to produce a game that will challenge Wales and which will prevent them playing their game”.

Scotland’s second opponents are Australia and they end the first day with a tie against Canada, a team that should not worry the Scots, but which has perennially presented problems.

Shiel warned: “It doesn’t matter what draw we have. We always have to play to our potential to achieve a quarter-final Cup place. Wales and Australia both played well last week on the Gold Coast and Canada did well in the Pan-Am games.”

Scotland will have taken some confidence from finishing as runners-up in the Bowl competition at the Australia Sevens, losing narrowly to Argentina in the final.

Last year Perthshire paceman James Fleming made a big impression in Dubai, scoring six tries and Shiel will want to use the Glasgow Warrior apprentice as much as possible. Scotland also have good finishers in Andrew Turnbull and Peter Horne and a world-class sevens playmaker in Glasgow’s Colin Gregor.

There may be a need for Gregor to switch positions with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, who has been operating at scrum half in the absence of a specialist number nine following the late withdrawal of the Stirling County’s Sean Kennedy.