ROBERT THORNTON is looking for Scotland to make a flying start to the Betfair World Cup of Darts this weekend.
Thornton returns to partner Gary Anderson for Scotland in this year's World Cup of Darts, having missed out 12 months ago when he was overtaken in the PDC Order of Merit by Peter Wright.
Thornton and Anderson (pictured above) had lost out in the group stage of the inaugural World Cup in 2010 - losing to Wales and Spain in their group to mean that a defeat of the USA was not enough - while the Scots lost out in the second round to South Africa last year.
Scotland have been drawn with Canada's John Part and Jeff Smith and Sweden's Magnus Caris and Par Riihonen in a tough-looking Group C, and Thornton knows that their opening group game on Friday night will be vital.
"We need to hit the ground running - if we can get past the group stage we will settle down," Thornton told the Scottish Sun. "We've been awful over the past few years - the only way is up for us!
"Gary and I are both very similar and probably a bit too laid back. We perhaps need a bit more blood and thunder in our games sometimes.
"I don't think either Gary or myself settled into the format in 2010 and suddenly we were out - in the last two World Cups we've lost to Spain, South Africa and Wales, that isn't good enough."
The Betfair World Cup of Darts will be held from February 1-3 at the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle in Hamburg.
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