Former Scotland international Sean Lineen has insisted that Vern Cotter's side are capable of "big things" at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The team are in Pool B alongside Samoa, South Africa, Japan and the United States, beginning their campaign against Japan next Wednesday.
Lineen, who now works as head of player acquisition for Scottish Rugby, told BBC Sport: "Scotland will have a chance against [South Africa] if they put the right team out. There is a belief and Vern is a very good coach.
"They have been together for a couple of season now. They are growing together. Vern has developed a can-do atmosphere. There is innovation at the line-out and the defence is pretty strong too.
"With that crop of young backs coming through, Stuart Hogg, Mark Bennett, Finn Russell, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, I honestly think there are some big things coming with this Scottish team."
Scotland failed to progress from their pool in the 2011 tournament.
