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Peter Wright targets turnaround in Scottish fortunes in Germany – BBC Sport

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5 months ago

June 28, 2024

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Peter Wright targets turnaround in Scottish fortunes in Germany – BBC Sport

Image caption, Peter Wright once again partners Gary Anderson this weekend

Author, Tyrone Smith
Role, BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
15 minutes ago

After Scotland’s group-stage exit at Euro 2024, darts star Peter Wright believes he and Gary Anderson can deliver Scottish success in Germany this weekend.

The duo, both two-time PDC World Championship winners, will again form the Scottish team at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.

They have an impressive pedigree at the £450,000 event, having won it in 2019 and finishing as runners-up in 2015, 2018 and 2023.

Wright, who also got his hands on the trophy alongside John Henderson three years ago, said: “Well, we normally do pretty well, so why not?

“Gary is playing really well, I am coming back to form. If we both just click, which we normally do, I reckon we have got a really good chance.

“We don’t like losing. Obviously, we have lost the finals, it is one of those things. Those times in the final, they were just that little bit better.

“We both believe that we can win it again.”

While Anderson is enjoying a good year – having won a Players Championship and a European Tour event – it has been a poor one so far for his team-mate.

‘Snakebite’ has struggled for form, with a bottom-placed finish in this year’s Premier League bearing testament to that.

“Since the Premier League was over it was a relief, I just knuckled down,” he said.

“As soon it was over, I started enjoying the darts instead of putting pressure on myself with turning up every week trying to perform and then just looking at it going, ‘oh another shot there, I let him in, I let him in’.

“Instead of me moaning about it, do something about it on the board – so that is what I am doing.”

As fourth seeds, Scotland do not enter the fray until Saturday.

“The Netherlands [Michael van Gerwen and Danny Noppert] are going to be pretty strong, but I don’t think Michael is 100%,” Wright proffered.

“I suppose England [Luke Humphries and Michael Smith] have got a pretty good chance, but I think two fast players playing together, it could backfire, but you never know.

“A wildcard? Probably Australia again because they have won it [in 2022] and they have got the experience. Simon [Whitlock] will just turn up and hit his 180s and then Damon [Heta] will come down and hit his doubles, so I think they will be dangerous.”

The darts crowds are usually pretty boisterous, but with Germany still hosting football’s Euro 2024, things could be pretty lively when Wright and Anderson take to the oche at the Eissporthalle.

Wright added: “It is normally a great crowd there anyway, but if you get the wrong football crowd in there then they can make it pretty awkward, especially for Scotland.

“Pick the trophy up at the end of it, that is it and shut them up.”