Former Scotland full-back Chris Paterson believes the present side have the ability to open their World Cup campaign with victory over holders South Africa on Sunday.

Paterson, who played at four World Cups, feels previous squads had possibly seen just being selected as the biggest achievement.

"Maybe, in the past, we've fallen down with celebrations of being selected in the final squad to get to the World Cup," he told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland.

"This year, I sense a change, a difference. The selection was probably the starting point rather than the culmination."

Scotland, themselves ranked fifth in the world, are in the tournament's 'group of death' with the sides currently ranked first and second - Ireland and the Springboks.

"Very difficult against South Africa," Paterson said of Sunday's game in Marseille. "But, if we can match their physicality, force them to make errors and disrupt them then we've got the ability to beat anyone on our day."

Paterson knows how "desperate" the players will be to finally get out on the pitch.

"It's a long time coming," he added. "The players have been training for 14 weeks.

"You tick off the weeks, play the build-up internationals and then eventually it comes around, but those last few days are the slowest."