Grand Slam hero Roy Laidlaw has told Scotland officials to forget about their aim of winning the World Cup later this year.
Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson declared in 2012 that going all the way in the showpiece competition was a realistic ambition for the country, at the end of three years of hard work.
However, having claimed the dreaded wooden spoon in the 2015 Six Nations, Laidlaw believes that simply getting out of the pool stage should be the task at hand.
"I don't think it's a realistic aim," the 1984 Grand Slam winner is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "I think qualifying for the quarter-finals would be a realistic aim for us.
"I always worry about Scotland. The South Africa game is probably a bit above Scotland. Japan and USA will be difficult, but I think we can progress to the quarter-finals if we can beat Samoa."
Scotland kick their World Cup campaign off with a match against Japan in Gloucester on September 23.
Daniel Lewis
