Cam Redpath: 'If I don’t get picked I’ll be absolutely devastated'

Cam Redpath knows the next few weeks are critical as he bids to follow in his father’s footsteps by going to a World Cup with Scotland. The 23-year-old centre’s dad Bryan played at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 tournaments, and photos and caps adorn the family home.

Redpath junior was at the showpiece in Australia as a toddler 20 years ago and now, after being named in Gregor Townsend’s provisional squad for this autumn’s renewal in France, he knows he is tantalisingly close to emulating his father.

“I was there in 2003 as a three-year-old with my brother and sister and my mum and my grandparents so it’s quite special and it would mean the world to me to go,” said the Bath centre.

“Looking back on photos of me in a Scotland shirt at three years old on the balcony and in the stadium when my dad was playing, it’s definitely something I’d love to do.

"As a kid, you always think you would love to do that, especially for me as a kid growing up in a house where my dad had his World Cup caps up on the wall so it would be pretty cool to have mine and be able to do the same one day. My family love coming to support me so I’d imagine if I do get in that squad, my mum and dad and brother and sister will be there.”

Scotland have four warm-up matches ahead of the tournament and Townsend plans to trim his 41-man squad to 33 by the time of the third of those games away to France on August 12. Redpath – one of five centres and with just five caps to his name – is among several players in the group whose place cannot be taken for granted.

“It can be unsettling,” he said when asked about the uncertainty of whether he will make the final squad. “It’s more about how you look at it. I’m just trying to look at it in the sense that I back myself and if I put my best foot forward and do everything in my control, it’s then up to the coaches.

“If I don’t get picked I’ll be absolutely devastated but it’s something that I can’t control if I have done everything I can and I know I have trained well. It’s just about trying to get every detail right. It’s obviously a little bit unsettling because I’d love to be on that plane.

“Obviously it is always at the back of everyone’s minds (that the squad will be trimmed) but it’s not something you can think about too much because if you think about that and train poorly you won’t get picked.

“For me, it’s just about getting my head down, training hard and trying to get into that squad. Everyone’s in the same boat, grafting hard, so the squad’s in a good position.

“The games coming up are important but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself because I have also had the pre-season to try and put my best foot forward. But games are always more important than training so hopefully I can play at least one of the games to try to put my best foot forward and get into the squad.”