When brothers Max and Thom Evans were confirmed as starters with Alasdair Strokosch in Frank Hadden's Scotland 15 to take on France this weekend, the country's Sevens coach Stephen Gemmell will have allowed himself a quiet moment of self-satisfaction.
Gemmell was the first coach to give both Evans brothers a chance to shine on the international stage and both have since used success with the Sevens team as a springboard to full international honours.
With the Rugby World Cup Sevens a little over three weeks away, Gemmell has a different cast of hopefuls in San Diego for the USA Sevens, aiming to make names for themselves after turning the corner in Wellington on a disappointing start to the World Series.
While the Evans brothers are gone for good from the Sevens programme, they do lay down a compelling case as to just how effective exposure in Sevens can be in fast tracking careers.
Fast track scheme
"We're very much about using Sevens to develop and produce players and Max coming on and scoring [for Scotland in the RBS Six Nations] at the weekend is testament to him, but also to the fact that he's been part of our programme," said Gemmell.
"We've had a number of players who've moved on in the last couple of years, and that makes it difficult for us to get them back for the whole World Series so we've targeted to get them back for Wellington and San Diego and then the World Cup in Dubai and the union has supported me, so it's very much about the World Cup for us.
"We need to have a good finish there to promote ourselves for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and that's massive for us looking forward then to the Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow."
Richie Vernon and Jim Thompson are two more who won rave reviews in Scotland and benfitted from their outstanding performances at the Edinburgh Sevens at Murrayfield in June by being fast tracked into the Scotland A side. Thompson should return to Sevens action for the World Cup and Vernon is back involved in the current squad, alongside the likes of Colin Gregor, Roland Reid, Mike Adamson and Andrew Turnbull, who has returned to play for the 'A' side after the Wellington tournament but will be available to Gemmell for Dubai.
World Cup the priority
"It is a World Cup and it merits every country putting out their strongest squad. It's difficult for the Northern hemisphere countries because of Six Nations, Under 20 Six Nations and Scotland A and things like that, but it's a priority for us. The Commonwealth Games gives it a massive focus so I'll be going back after this weekend and evaluating where we are. If that means going and knocking on doors and requesting others players then I'll certainly not be scared to do that."
Scotland's Rugby World Cup Sevens pool is fraught with danger. The biggest obstacle is certainly South Africa, the current IRB Sevens World Series leaders possessing a core of full-time Sevens players who scorched to Cup success in Dubai and George earlier this season. Canada and Japan will also provide tough tests, though, and Gemmell takes nothing for granted.
"Making that Melrose Cup quarter final is massive. Looking forward it avoids having to qualify and it also sends out a statement of where Scotland is, but it is difficult. Points become invaluable in making the cut for the last eight, so you do have to consider it. You need to go out and win games and when you do you also need to be thinking about racking up the points, but it won't be a case of racking up points against any one team. It will be a case of saying how can we beat all three of those teams, because then points don't matter."
Sevens success harder to achieve
With a limited number of players to work with Gemmell is also aware that the global challenge of Sevens reaches far wider than 15s. Kenya and the USA are now consistent contenders in the abbreviated game to add to the likes of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.
"We are currently looking at not only how we maintain where we've been in the past, but also improve because the game just keeps developing," Gemmell said.
"We've got a small player base, we know that, it's not an excuse, we just need to be clever about how we utilise the players that we've got.
"Hopefully in October the decision's made and you have Sevens in the Olympics and then that gives everybody another boost and I'm sure that from the government's point of view and everything else there'll be a real focus towards it and that will also strengthen the cause of Scotland Sevens, but I've been lucky to be well supported over the last two and a half years.
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"We're about producing players onto that next level and I'm glad that I've done that to some extent, I need to continue."
The USA Sevens is played on 14-15 February at San Diego's PETCO Park. For tickets go to www.usasevens.com.
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