Scots on right track, says Gavin Hastings

"The ability to win the second Test match was absolutely crucial," Hastings said yesterday. "On and off over a number of years, Scotland have always managed to get a victory, and yet have they been able to follow it up with another one in an important occasion?

"The answer to that has probably been 'no', until the second Test in Argentina. From my perspective, what I read into that is that they've breached a major hurdle in their careers by meeting the expectation probably of themselves as much as the public and maybe the press.

"For them to follow up a great opening Test victory with another shows that they have mentally crossed that divide. I think that this was a very, very significant step forward.

"I sent a text straight away to Scotland coach Andy Robinson, saying much the same thing. I've seen him since then and reiterated that. I think it's great and I think the guys will take a huge amount of confidence on the back of that."

Scotland won last month's first Test 24-16, then followed it up a week later with a 13-9 win to record their first ever series victory in the Southern Hemisphere. That compared with back-to-back matches in the Autumn Tests at Murrayfield last year, when Robinson's team claimed a historic win over Australia, but then lost to the Pumas a week later.

"It was a fantastic achievement for them winning against Australia," Hastings continued. "(The situation last month] was like playing Argentina the week afterwards in the Autumn Tests.

"Now they have got a massive 18 months ahead. Look no further than the Rugby World Cup - the England v Scotland pool match is going to be one of the games of the tournament."

As well as praising the squad as a whole, Hastings also paid tribute to the work of Guy Richardson, who announced on Tuesday that he will shortly step down from the role of Scotland team manager after six years in the post. "I think Guy was a very, very good team manager because of his army training and background. From a team manager perspective, I'm sure they will think long and hard about who can potentially fulfil that role. I'm sure there will be some outstanding candidates.

"For me, a good team manager allows everybody else in the organisation to concentrate on being able to do what they do best, whether it's playing, coaching or the medical team. Basically, they are taking all the hassle out of the players' and coaches' day-to-day lives in order to enable them to concentrate on being the best player or coach they can be."

Hastings was speaking at Edinburgh Zoo at the launch of the 2010 First Monster Challenge, a 120-kilometre team relay duathlon around the shores of Loch Ness. He and former athlete Sally Gunnell were able to get to grips with a two-foot-long bearded dragon from Australia and a tree frog - experiences which, however unfamiliar, are likely to be somewhat less daunting than the challenge, which takes place on 11 September.

Having competed twice already, Hastings may have the edge over Gunnell, but he admitted that participating was a lot more important than winning. "This is the third time I've taken part in this.

"The first year Liz McColgan and I took part in two separate teams. She was determined to win. Then last year [model and TV presenter] Nell McAndrew was in it and she's a very good runner.

"I've been winding Sally up about how tough it is. I saw her a few weeks and said ‘How did you get roped into this? It'll be one of the hardest things you've done in your life'. The colour just drained from her face.

"The reason I'm doing it again is that it's a fantastic event and it's such good fun. It's also so well organised - it's a massive logistical exercise.

"Liz handpicked her team two years ago, but being a team player I'll just join in with others. You have this inbuilt desire not to let your team-mates down, but I'm way beyond my rugby career and I'm totally not fit."

Title sponsors First Group confirmed yesterday that the race has sold out. More than 1,000 competitors, grouped in over 250 teams, have signed up for the event.