Vice captain Rory Lawson has tonight welcomed the official confirmation from the game’s worldwide governing body, the IRB, that Scotland have jumped two places in the world rankings.

They are now in seventh place – ahead of Wales and Argentina – equalling their highest ever place since the rankings were established.

Scrum-half Lawson, however, is urging his team-mates to set their sights on further improvement after the 2-0 series win against Argentina, Scotland’s first cap tour series triumph, to propel them onwards and upwards.

Rory Lawson celebrates success in Argentina with fellow Dollar Academicals John Barclay and Graeme Morrison

He told www.scotlandrugbyteam.org: “I think this is obviously a hugely positive thing and is a sign of the direction we are hoping to be moving in.

“I guess the key thing is to keep building on that and setting our targets higher than where we are.”

The Scotland party return from Argentina on Wednesday.  They will reconvene for a training camp in St Andrews in August and are next back in action on home soil for the Autumn Tests against New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa in November.

To see the full IRB rankings please log on to www.irb.com