Scotland's time for looking back is almost over - but questions, so many questions ahead of World Cup

Looking back time is almost over, the time for looking ahead already upon us.

Luke Crosbie is one of many players looking to stake a claim for Scotland against Italy.

The 2015 and 2019 World Cups are recent enough to be fresh in the memory. 2015.ended infuriatingly with a refereeing error which gave Australia the chance for a match-winning kick right at the end, so we felt unfairly denied a place in the semi-final. This has tinged memory of that RWC campaign with gold. In truth, however, it was not very distinguished. Australia should have had that quarter-final won long before the end. They had scored five tries to our three, but missed several kicks at goal, not all of them difficult. Previously in the pool stage, we had struggled to beat first Japan, and then Samoa, and had been pretty well thumped by South Africa. We had been a bit lucky to reach the quarter-final – and then ran out of luck.

2019 was simply disappointing and, as in 2011, we failed to reach the knock-out stage. We lost badly to Ireland in the first pool match. No great surprise in retrospect, for we have rarely been at our best against the Irish in recent years. Worse followed when we lost to the host nation Japan in the last pool match. This was disappointing, though it was actually one of the best games in the pool stage of that World Cup, Japan playing brilliantly in the first half, Scotland well in the second, but not quite well enough.

So today we have the first warm-up match for this year’s edition; a good one, for Italy will provide a fair test of how preparations are going. Of course teams in these warm-up matches are to some degree experimental, as today’s seems to be, with an eye on what are supposed to be the weaker pool matches.

Referee Craig Joubert was an unpopular figure for Scotland in the 2015 World Cup.

Today’s selection has however an interest beyond the World Cup. Though given ballast by three of Scotland’s still active Lions – Chris Harris, Ali Price and Rory Sutherland, none of whom started matches in this year’s Six Nations – it is a generally young team, with a captain today Rory Darge, who may well, the Gods being willing, featuring the Scotland side for ten or so years.

Today’s back row, with Luke Crosbie at 6, Darge at 7 and Matt Fagerson at 8, is of especial interest. It looks very nicely balanced. Crosbie is the hard man every back-row need, a powerful carrier. Anyone who watched Edinburgh beat the English champions Saracens a few month ago knows how powerful and destructive he can be. Darge himself is a prince of the breakdown and a fast and dangerous runner, alert also to support any break. Fagerson is an unusually skilful No 8, good at the breakdown and at the tail of the line-out, nimble-footed in possession. But can this exciting trio displace a backrow of this past season’s captain Jamie Ritchie, the powerful Jack Dempsey and Hamish Watson that terrier at the breakdown and one who in possession so often makes more ground that seemed possible? All six will, one supposes, be in the World Cup squad, but how will be first picks and how Gregor deploys them are important questions.

Then there is the interesting question of the midfield. I suppose Huw Jones and Chris Harris will be the two 13s selected, and Sione Tuipulotu has taken possession of the No 12 jersey. But will he be joined by Stafford MacDowell, who plays today, or Cameron Redpath who is on the bench? The former has had a fine season for Glasgow, Redpath what I would guess was a frustrating one for a poor Bath side. Both are tryscorers, Redpath an outstanding support runner. Perhaps five ceneres will be taken to France.

Then there is the scrum-half question. Ali Price starts today and his experience and game-management mean that he must be in the final party, likewise Ben White, first choice through the Six Nations. Assuming only three 9s are in the World Cup party, it’s a choice between George Horne and Jamie Dobie. Horne, judgement sometimes erratic, is a marvellous player against all but the very best. I see young Dobie, wonderfully talented, as a key player over the next ten years. Anybody’s guess.

Questions, questions. But let’s hopes for some fun and a sparkling performance this afternoon.