Laidlaw relishing chance to pull Scots’ strings again

understanding of the culture, of how they try to play the game, their strengths, of which there are a lot, but also their weaknesses.”

His totemic qualities are a comfort to the other players. Jones, the England coach, says: “That boy is going to be one of the best players in the world. His development over the last two years has been outstanding. There’s a fine edge between being super-competitive and giving away penalties. He’s learning that all the time and it’s just another part of the learning process.”

On the “learning” front, England’s supposedly “small” and “inexperienced” pack passed a major test against the Springboks. “We grew stronger as the game wore on,” Itoje says. “Maybe the pack was inexperienced in terms of caps, but in the back row from last weekend, Tom Curry was the only young guy in rugby terms.”

Discipline and penalties are one focus as Itoje takes on New Zealand’s forwards, but there is another, grander, way of viewing him: as All Black-level talent, in an England No4 shirt. “They can almost choose how they want to play,” Itoje says. “If they want to be physical, they can. If they want to play expansive, they can do that.”

Itoje, you feel, would look good in either of those modes. Good in either team. For some, the burden of expectation makes them wilt. For others, it brings out the very best in them. Greig Laidlaw comes into the latter category.

Now 33, the little scrum-half is at his most bristling when he feels under pressure to perform. And today, the 68,500 Scots crammed into Murrayfield for the visit of Fiji expect. But if Scotland expects, so, too, does their captain.

Scotland’s leader today for the first time in 18 months, Laidlaw has a long track record of rising to the challenge.

“Proving people wrong has been the way my career has gone,” said Laidlaw. “When I was trying to push through there were three scrum-halves up and running and established so I had to bide my time. I can’t control what other players do, what people say, I can only do my talking on the field and that is what I have tried to do over the years. That is what I am going to do every time I play for Scotland.

“The sold-out stadium has a positive effect on the players. We are well aware when the stadium sells out so quickly, and with all the respect in the world to the Fiji rugby team it would not have sold out a few years ago. Selling out shows the connection we have with the rugby public. It is a tremendous feeling for a player to have.”

If the return of Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg should sharpen Scotland’s attacking edge, it is likely to be the presence of the evergreen scrum-half which will have the greatest impact upon the outcome.

“We have to keep the ball,” he says. “They love running about and showing their skill sets but keeping the ball is one way to win. Make them tackle, make them tackle. We just carry, clean, carry, clean. Make them do a lot of work. If we hold the ball we can test their discipline.”

When Fiji beat Scotland in Suva last year, the Polynesians beasted the tourists in contact, dominated the breakdown and rumbled down the middle. This time, that is essentially Scotland’s blueprint.

Scotland (v Fiji, Murayfield 2.30pm. BBC1) Fiji Replacements