By Nick Mulvenney
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Wallabies prop Scott Sio is almost certain to make his World Cup debut next month after an impressive display in the weekend's win over New Zealand but he already boasts a special link to rugby's showpiece event.
Sio's father Tevita, also known as David, was part of the giant-killing Western Samoa squad that reached the World Cup quarter-finals on debut in 1991.
It was when Sio senior was in Edinburgh preparing for the last eight clash that his son was born and the prop settled on an abbreviation of Scotland for the infant's first name.
If he was undoubtedly proud of a fine performance from the young loosehead on Saturday, there was no danger of him allowing the 23-year-old to get too full of himself ahead of the return match against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.
"My old man is always telling me there's things I can improve on," Sio said with a grin on Monday.
"That's how I was brought up. Never play well, just always improve from just week to week. That's how we are here, we don't like to focus on the positives, or the negatives, too much, just keep on improving.
"Keep stepping it up a level and it's the same this week. We want to make sure we get our fundamentals right on the weekend and hopefully get a good win."
Sio's conversion from schoolboy loose forward was undoubtedly helped by his father's familiarity with the front row.
Summoned to the Australia camp and handed his test debut by former test prop Ewen McKenzie at the tender age of 21, Sio has continued to forge a reputation as one of Australia's best young forwards.
After seven appearances off the bench, he finally got his first start against the All Blacks on Saturday and capped a fine display by earning a penalty when New Zealand's Owen Franks collapsed the scrum eight minutes after halftime.
Sio is aware he is still learning the dark arts of the front row, however, and knows the All Blacks will come out firing in this weekend's Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland.
"Owen Franks has been a premier tighthead for a long time now, I know he'll be bringing something different to the table on Saturday," he said.
"I'll just have to be ready for it, whether I'm starting or on the bench."