24 years in 140 characters: Never less than the last eight, usually thumped by New Zealand once there. Semi-final against England in 91: Gavin Hastings can't miss... Oh
Coach: Andy Robinson
Captain: Alastair Kellock
Record in 2011: P7 W3 L4
World Cup record:
1987: Quarter-finals
1991: Semi-finals (4th)
1995: Quarter-finals
1999: Quarter-finals
2003: Quarter-finals
2007: Quarter-finals
If everyone stays fit this is potentially a decent Scottish team: well-drilled, resourceful, mobile. In the 22-year-old lock Richie Gray, Chris Cusiter, John Barclay and the Lamont brothers, they have players who would interest England's selectors. Their head coach, Andy Robinson, will be desperate to prove a point or two to England. To continue their proud 100 per cent record of RWC pool qualification, though, they need one of their two fly-halves, Ruaridh Jackson and Dan Parks, to supply some generalship.
Key player: Euan Murray. If the Lions prop has a strong World Cup, so will Scotland. If not, the scrummaging power of Argentina and England could erode the Scottish challenge.
Commentator's kit: Scrum-half Rory Lawson is the grandson of the famous BBC commentator Bill McLaren; his father, Alan Lawson, played 15 times for Scotland as a scrum-half between 1972 and 1980 and is now a vice-president of the SRU.
Squad
Geoff Cross, prop, age 28, caps 6
Alastair Dickinson, prop, age 27, caps 21
Allan Jacobsen, prop, age 32, caps 56
Moray Low, prop, age 26, caps 15
Euan Murray, prop, age 31, caps 39
Ross Ford, hooker, age 27, caps 49
Dougie Hall, hooker, age 30, caps 36
Scott Lawson, hooker, age 29, caps 28
Richie Gray, second-row, age 22, caps 12
Jim Hamilton, second-row, age 28, caps 32
Nathan Hines, second-row, age 34, caps 73
Alastair Kellock, second-row, age 30, caps 34
John Barclay, flanker, age 24, caps 29
Kelly Brown, flanker, age 29, caps 46
Ross Rennie, flanker, age 25, caps 8
Alasdair Strokosch, flanker, age 28, caps 20
Richie Vernon, No8, age 24, caps 12
Mike Blair, scrum-half, age 30, caps 72
Chris Cusiter, scrum-half, age 29, caps 53
Rory Lawson, scrum-half, age 30, caps 28
Ruaridh Jackson, fly-half, age 23, caps 8
Dan Parks, fly-half, age 33, caps 62
Joe Ansbro, centre, age 25, caps 7
Nick De Luca, centre, age 27, caps 26
Max Evans, wing, age 27, caps 20
Graeme Morrison, centre, age 28, caps 30
Simon Danielli, wing, age 31, caps 30
Sean Lamont, wing, age 30, caps 56
Rory Lamont, full-back, age 28, caps 25
Chris Paterson, full-back, age 33, caps 105
Average age 28.2
Average caps 34.6
