Ex-Howe of Fife flanker Jamie Ritchie upbeat about Scots’ Rugby World Cup chances

Head coach Gregor Townsend’s Scots, ranked fifth in the world, kick off their cup campaign in France on Sunday against South Africa in Marseille, and they then play Tonga in Nice on Sunday, September 24; Romania in Lille on Saturday, September 30; and Ireland in Paris on Saturday, October 7, with the top two in the pool qualifying for the competition’s quarter-finals.

Team captain Ritchie is unfazed by the calibre of opposition in store, however, saying: “South Africa are coming into this off a great result against New Zealand and Ireland are arguably the form team in the last calendar year of rugby, so the pressure is definitely on them to perform because they are expected to get out of the group.

“For us, it’s a massive opportunity and I fully believe we can beat both those teams on our day.”

Scotland will have two weeks off after playing South Africa, allowing time for their families to join them for a few days and that’s something Ritchie’s looking forward to, seeing it as a chance to embrace French culture and sample Nice’s local delicacies.

“I love French food,” he said. “I’m quite into my food, I must admit.”

Asked what his favourite dish is, Ritchie smiled: “At home, it is called French onion soup, but I guess it is just onion soup here.”

The 27-year-old, also formerly at St Andrews club Madras, is one of two ex-Howe players in Townsend’s 33-man squad, the other being George Horne.