As we reach crunch time in the group stages of the 2015 World Cup Scotland have made a competent if at times lethargic start to the competition. Wins over Japan and USA have put Scotland in a position where winning against Samoa will send them through to the quarter finals of the competition.

Since Vern Cotter has taken over the national side there has been more emphasis on playing attacking Rugby Football and trying to move the ball through hand. A foreign concept to us fans in recent years. Something which Scotland have severely struggled with in the modern rugby era.

Bennett, Scott, Seymour, Hogg and Russell to name a few have been pivotal in implementing Cotter’s ideas and there are at times glimpses of the exciting brand of rugby we long to see. All these players are blessed with incredible strength, pace and a work ethic fitting of the physically demanding game that Rugby Football now is. There is however a new man on the Scottish scene who in my eyes is the key player to any success Scotland wish to achieve in the near future.

Willem Petrus Nel is a South African born tight head prop qualified for the Scottish National side through the residency ruling and now has 6 international caps to his name.  WP Nel is as broad as a transit van with a quite frightening physical presence. He has taken the long road to international rugby, I for one am just glad he has made it eventually.

Nel was brought up in the town of Loeriesfontein in South Africa on a farm with his parents. His early life was made up largely of helping out on the farm and playing rugby whenever given the opportunity. After finishing his agrictural studies in 2008 Nel was being lured home with the prospect of life in the hills working with the sheep in Loeriesfontein – 7 days later Nel had a professional contract with Cheetahs. Nel’s decision proved to be a good one as 12 months down then line he was a Super Rugby regular.

Within no time he was being watched by the South African management side and playing against the British and Irish Lions also having the honour of playing against New Zealand with the Babas. Fortunately for Scotland that call never came from the Springboks and as a result he ended up in Edinburgh – the rest is now history.

Scotland’s weakness has so often been in the Scrum and fortunately this is where Nels strength lies – evidential during the slow first half display against the USA where Nel came off the bench at half time to change the game and allow Scotland to run out clear and comfortable winners. It is this sort of performance that can fill us with great hope going into the remainder of the tournament and I urge you to all keep a close eye on WP – without doubt the pick of the Scotland players so far and by far our most important. What anticipation we have going into tomorrows Tartan Takeover of the ‘Toon’

#BackingBlueWP Nel