Laidlaw given no captaincy promise

GREIG LAIDLAW has held discussions with head coach Vern Cotter about retaining the Scotland captaincy heading into the Rugby World Cup, but no assurances have yet been given to the scrum-half.

The 29-year-old Gloucester man skippered the side during the poor Six Nations campaign earlier in the year and Cotter has previously talked about possibly putting in place a “group of leaders” rather than one captain going forward. The likes of Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray and Josh Strauss would come into the reckoning if that were the case. For now, Laidlaw is just keen to lead by example during the pre-World Cup camp.

“I am going into this camp with the same mindset as I have always had. Whether I am captain or not, my position [of scrum-half] demands that I am a leader anyway so I will take the lead in every session and demand high standards of myself,” he said.

“I also demand high standards from the players round me so that’s what I’ll continue to do and [as for the captaincy] what will be will be. I have spoken to Vern a couple of times [about it] and a couple of other things. I respect Vern and he respects me and the players respect me as well. Whether I am captain or not I will still be the same player and the same person.”

Laidlaw’s claim to the No.9 jersey also looks set to be put to the test by Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Henry Pyrgos and Chris Cusiter in the coming months.

However, he feels he is in pretty good fettle himself as the World Cup warm-up matches approach, starting on August 15. “The others have been playing well, but I think I have been playing well also,” he said. “I played well in the Premiership for Gloucester and I won the Challenge Cup with Gloucester in my first season. I am only 29 years old and I still have a hell of a lot to give to the Scotland jersey. Boys are used to competition these days, it is part of the game. I am just keen to drive up the standards in the squad.”