SCOTLAND full-back Stuart Hogg has insisted that the team CAN win the Rugby World Cup - and that there is no point in turning up for the tournament if they think otherwise.

Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson declared several years ago that the national side had to target winning the World Cup this autumn, and since then he has been widely criticised for having unrealistic ambitions. As Scotland are tenth in the world rankings and did not even reach the last eight of the competition four years ago, winning the trophy is certainly a big ask for them, but Hogg, for one, is not interested in merely sneaking into the knockout stages.

“Mark Dodson set the goals very early on,” the Glasgow Warriors player said. “He said he wants to win the World Cup and that’s very much in our focus and our mind set.

“We’re not going there to make up the numbers and we know we have a tough pool to try and qualify from. Every game will be a massive challenge for us, but the boys are excited about it. We’re relishing what’s ahead of us.

“Our goal is to win the World Cup. Mark has set a challenge for us.

“Listen, you’re not going to a World Cup thinking it’ll be fine just to get out of the pool stages.. Like everyone else we’re going there to win.

“There is a long way to go and it has to be game by game. All of that is on the back burner, but that’s the target.

“If we can get to the knockout stages we’ll take it from there. But we can’t look past Japan: if we look ahead of ourselves we’ll slip up.”

Before that opening pool game against Japan, Scotland have two more warm-up matches to play - next week against France in Paris, but first this afternoon at home to Italy. Vern Cotter’s team won 16-12 in Turin last week after being under pressure for much of the game, and the coach has brought back some of his big guns for the Murrayfield return.

Cotter has refused to label this selection his first-choice team, and there are men in the starting line-up such as John Barclay who are still fighting for their places in the final World Cup squad of 31, to be announced next Tuesday. But with the likes of Finn Russell and Mark Bennett in the 15 as well as Hogg, this is at least far closer to the best team available.

“It’s been a long pre-season, but I’m delighted to be back,” added Hogg, who like his two Glasgow team-mates was rested for the games against Ireland and Italy. “It has been tough but enjoyable. It’s the first time I’ve had a full pre-season under my belt and I’m feeling the benefits of it.

“I’ve never been involved in the World Cup, and it’s a dream to play at the highest level. To go to the World Cup would mean everything to me, as it does to every other member of the squad.”

Most games between Scotland and Italy are close and tense, and last week was no exception. But today Hogg and his team-mates will try to play a more open game, or at least spread the ball about sooner than they did last week.

“Last week we were tighter. This week we’re going to get a little bit wider and bring the back three into the game. I’d like that anyway.”