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more »Scotland coach urges sevens fans

Scotland 7s coach Stephen Gemmell today spoke of the intense anticipation of the event which he believes is staged in one of the world's best venues.
"You come in here and look round about and it's a magnificent stadium," he said. "There is something special as a coach and a player to come into your own changing room.
"If you can't get enthused about playing and performing in this stadium for your country and your home tournament then you're never going to do it. I don't have any worries about our players being able to do that this weekend.
"We've got an experienced group, some of whom have performed at the highest level in XVs, we just need to make sure that when they come out that tunnel that they are ready to go."
Gemmell's squad, which despite losing influential captain Scott Forrest through injury earlier in the week, has been bolstered by the return of sevens experience and further international nous in Ally Hogg and Ben Cairns.
The task of preparing the players for the weekend is now all but over and both the spirit of the squad and the want to impress in front of a home support continues to shine through.
Gemmell continued: "There's a real desire within the group to improve on last weekend. When you see the players out training, you can see there's a good balance of a laugh and a joke but when its time to train, we are sharp.
"All we can ask them to do tomorrow is transfer how they've trained this week into the pressured environment that is international sevens."
Not only are the Scotland squad ready for the weekend's competition, but Gemmell believes that yet another loud and proud Scotland crowd can lift his team to the success they have enjoyed in Edinburgh in previous seasons.
"The last three years the crowd has been magnificent. They've cheered us from game one until the very last game that we've played in.
"We need to make sure that the crowd are behind us because of how we are performing. When games are tight, the public help us.
"The atmosphere last year was unbelievable. If we can replicate that in terms of the public support this year, and we can replicate those types of performances, then this will be a special weekend for everyone involved in Scotland 7s."
Those fans can come to Murrayfield and spend the weekend consumed in costume as the fancy-dress frolics bring the national stadium to life.
The great value ticket prices have left Gemmell feeling even more passionate about the event and hopeful that sports fans from all over Scotland will descend on the national stadium no matter who they will be supporting during the weekend.
"I can't think of any other way to spend £15, or £20 on the day, in terms of value for money," he said.
"You can come here from half nine in the morning until seven o'clock at night and you can watch 16, and I mean 16 world class, rugby teams.
"Some of them, people are well aware of, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, England, but then you've got Italy, Russia and USA, Kenya, Portugal, Canada who are all capable of beating each other.
"You throw Scotland into the mix with undoubtedly our strongest squad of the season and I get excited just thinking about it.
"I urge everybody to come out this weekend and show their support for all the teams. You can come along and enjoy the day, hopefully the sun will be shining, you can have a party, you can have a drink, watch some great rugby - and all that for less than £20 - it's unbelievable."





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