LESS than a month ago, Kevin Bryce was looking forward to getting a lot of game time with Glasgow while 20 of his team-mates were away on Rugby World Cup duty. Now he could be just days away from playing for a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament itself.

Ross Ford, Scotland’s first-choice hooker, failed a head injury assessment test after leaving the field during last weekend’s game against South Africa. He needs to pass that test before being allowed to play against Samoa at St James’ Park on Saturday, and if he fails again, Bryce will be in the matchday squad as back-up to his Warriors colleague Fraser Brown.

So far all three hookers are training together as normal, and Bryce knows that, as the man called up late, he remains head coach Vern Cotter’s third choice. But if he gets the chance to take on the Samoans in Newcastle he aims to make the most of every minute.

“Some big Samoan running at you - that’s what you want,” Bryce said yesterday, laughing at the prospect of taking on some of the hardest men in world rugby. “No, of course I would relish the prospect of taking them on, because that’s my game, amongst the tight five. I feel like if I get the nod I can bring that physicality and match what they bring - if not more.

“I haven’t played against Samoans before, so I’d like to. You can’t be scared of anybody. You need to go for it. We need to match them in the scrums, or the driving mauls, the contact area at the rucks - we need to be on top. We need to dominate them.”

Saturday’s Pool B game is Scotland’s biggest for four years - and if they win they will be in the last eight of the competition for the first time in eight years, having failed to get beyond the group stages the last time round. But Bryce - whose brother Glenn is currently on the Warriors’ injury list with a broken ankle - is determined to treat the build-up to this match just like he would any other, and not let the size of the occasion get to him.

“It’s another game of rugby even though it could get us into the quarter-finals. At the end of the day it’s 15 guys on the park in your team and you just get on with it. You don’t think about it and make it bigger than it could be.

“My mindset is just know my role, get my lineouts on point - that’s pretty much it. Know my role amongst the team just in case, so if Ross struggles to make the team I’m ready to step in and do my part - and do it well.

“But leading up to it we’re all doing the same thing. So there’s not too much of a difference.”

Bryce had been making arrangements for his son’s birthday party when he got the call-up to the squad last month, and he is now waiting to find out if he will get a trip home for the party itself on Sunday. In the meantime, he will just continue to work hard and play hard.

“This is the pinnacle of your career. In a World Cup with your country - it doesn’t get any bigger than that. I’ve been loving every moment of it. Just enjoying it.”