SCOTLAND head coach Gregor Townsend admits that the excitement of the 2023 World Cup draw was swiftly tempered by being placed in the “toughest pool” alongside South Africa and Ireland.

The Scots were always at risk of being handed a tough assignment due to a seeding system based on world rankings from the start of the year leaving them in the lowest band of qualified countries.

Townsend’s men were eliminated at the end of the pool stage during a dismal display at last year’s tournament in Japan and now face an uphill battle to avoid a repeat in three years’ time.