Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe addresses World Cup injury concerns as update given on Ben White

Duhan van der Merwe has played down any concerns he might be a fitness doubt for Scotland’s Rugby World Cup opener against South Africa.

Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe (L) is tackled by France scrum-half Antoine Dupont. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)

The Edinburgh wing went off with an ankle injury in the second half of last Saturday’s 30-27 defeat by France in Saint-Etienne.

However, Van der Merwe is optimistic he will be available for selection for the team’s final pre-tournament warm-up match at home to Georgia a week on Saturday.

“I twisted my ankle a bit, luckily it was nothing serious,” the 28-year-old told the PA news agency after being confirmed in Scotland’s 33-man World Cup squad on Wednesday morning.

“It’s fine, should be all good. We’ve had Monday and Tuesday off so we’ll assess it today but hopefully it will be all good and I’m fine for Georgia.”

Asked if he was confident he would be ready to face South Africa, his birth country, in the opening World Cup pool match on September 10, Van der Merwe said: “Yes, 100 per cent.”

Head coach Gregor Townsend also had good news to report on the fitness of first-choice scrum-half Ben White. The 25-year-old has been nursing an ankle injury that forced him off in the first half of the home game against France a week past Saturday, but he has been included in the final World Cup squad and could be involved against Georgia later this month.

“Ben’s good,” said Townsend. “He had a meeting with the specialist on Monday and that was positive.

“He ran yesterday, which was the first time he’d ran in 10 days, so we’ll see over the next two or three days if he’ll be available for next week’s game, that’s the target.

“It would be nice to have him available for next week but if he doesn’t come right for that, we know he’ll be available for South Africa.”