Stuart McInally went from being named co-captain at Edinburgh last season to struggling to get in their starting line-up, but he is set to get his reward for maintaining a positive attitude.

The former back-row forward turned hooker has been the first choice at Edinburgh since new coach Rochard Cockerill arrived at the club and injuries to clubmate Ross Ford, Scotland’s most capped player and Glasgow Warrior Fraser Brown have catapulted him up the pecking order.

“The main difference this year is playing rugby and I can get confidence and improve,” he said.

“It’s not so much playing 20 minutes off the bench this year, coming on when everyone’s tired and having to start games.”

Scotland are suffering from a front-row crisis with all their experienced loosehead props also injured, but McInally played that down.

“It just always happens in international rugby you can’t bank on everybody being fit at any one time,” he said.

“I don’t feel it’s worth mentioning there’s injuries as that is true in a number of positions.”