By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport Rugby Union Correspondent

Roy Laidlaw will send his Scotland squad into Commonwealth Games sevens action on Friday night, admitting: "The Scottish public expect us to be competitive."

Scotland are unlikely to challenge the main medal contenders, but a quarter-final place is a realistic target, and manager Laidlaw wants his players to do themselves justice in a tough qualifying group that sees them drawn alongside gold medal favourites New Zealand.

"The Scottish public definitely expect us to to prove to be a competitive team at the Games, and it would also help boost the profile of sevens in Scotland if we perform well," he said.

"Scottish rugby has taken a few knocks in recent years, so it would be great for the game if we can do well in Manchester."

The Scots have made steady progress on rugby's demanding international sevens circuit since Laidlaw took charge some 18 months ago, slowly erasing memories of their failure to qualify for the last World Cup in Argentina.

And Laidlaw is looking for that steady, rather than spectacular upward curve to continue at City of Manchester Stadium over the next three days.

"I began this job in early 2001, and, initially, the Scottish Rugby Union launched the NIG Scottish Thistles development squad which played in the Henley and Amsterdam tournaments later that year," he added.

"By that stage too, we had selected a group of players - predominantly younger players - to form a training squad. It was the start of a programme designed, as an initial target, to prepare Scotland for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

"As a player, I thoroughly enjoyed sevens rugby. It is a format of the game which exposes you to the need to do the core skills on a more regular basis than in the 15-a-side game. Running, passing, tackling, decision-making - it is all there in abundance in sevens.

"Sevens is also the perfect tool for developing players. A wing, for example, is far more involved in the game for more of the time than in 15-a-side rugby. If you are good at sevens, then you are usually a pretty good 15s player too.

"International sevens is the perfect vehicle for players to develop their skills, and we sat down in the early months of 2001 and drew up the programme to take us forward from the disappointments we had endured in sevens.

"Fitness coaches were recruited, and players were brought together to work in groups in three centres - Edinburgh, the West and the Borders. We identified a large group of players initially, but of course some soon began to fall by the wayside, while others thrived on the new challenge."

Laidlaw has also tapped into New Zealand's wealth of expertise, and their renowned sevens structure is something he would like to see emulated in Scotland.

"I went to New Zealand's training camp in Palmerston North to watch how they prepare for sevens tournaments, and they were extremely helpful to me in terms of outlining how players are identified and how they structure their programme.

"In fact, the way New Zealand have sevens players on contract is an ideal scenario I would like us to employ in Scotland.

"In New Zealand, where the national sevens management have first call on their squad of players, the sevens events are not just an end in themselves.

"Many of the sevens specialists find themselves getting into Super 12 teams on the strength of what they achieve in sevens, and it was an education for me to see at first hand how the New Zealand system works, and how sevens fits into their domestic rugby calendar."

Little surprise then, that Laidlaw expects New Zealand to set the pace in the quest for Commonwealth gold.

"New Zealand are the overwhelming favourites, and then on the second tier down are Australia, England, South Africa, Samoa and Fiji. We are in the third tier, if you like, alongside Wales and Canada, and our group match against Canada is vital.

"Getting through our group, and therefore to the quarter-finals, is the first goal. After that, it is one-off matches and anything can happen in sevens rugby, but what I hope most of all is that the Scotland team grows and develops during the tournament."