GREIG Laidlaw will at last overtake his namesake Roy’s tally of caps when he captains Scotland against Wales on Saturday, but right now he would love to get anywhere close to the kind of international success enjoyed by his uncle back in the 1980s.

Roy Laidlaw, now 62, was an unused replacement for ten games before eventually making his debut in 1980. There were fewer Tests in those days, but the scrum-half still won a total of 47 caps, and was a vital member of the 1984 side that won the Grand Slam.

Greig, who was also a scrum-half before switching to stand-off, won his first cap back in 2010. He equalled Roy’s total in Saturday’s 15-9 defeat by England, and hopes that he will be able to celebrate a victory as well as a new family record in Cardiff at the weekend.

“It’s no secret that Roy has been a huge inspiration to me,” the 30-year-old said yesterday. “Somebody like that I’ve looked up to ever since I understood his achievements. Forty-seven caps in his day was a lot of caps.

“He knows the game has changed since his day, but we can share the fact that we’ve been in the same situation. There was pressure back then as there is now. It may have been different eras, but we’ve shared the same, unique experiences. Unless you’ve pulled on that jersey, unless you’re out there on that field, ultimately you don’t really know what it is about.

“He always enjoyed his time in the Scotland jersey, and that’s something I’m trying to get across to the boys. Clearly we would enjoy it more if we won a couple more games.

“That’s what we’re trying to do. It’s our time in the jersey now and that’s something we’ve talked about a fair bit - we don’t want to sit back and in however many years it is from now think we never put our best foot forward.

“We really think we’re doing that, but we understand the frustrations of everybody. There’s nobody more frustrated than the boys in the changing room.”

One of the many things that has changed since Roy Laidlaw’s day is the arrival of stadium roofs, and the one on the Principality Stadium, and whether to close it for a game, has long been a bone of contention. Warren Gatland, the Wales coach, has already said that he wants it closed in the hope that his team “can play a little rugby”, but both sides have to agree before it can be shut. Laidlaw refused to commit himself on it yesterday.

“If the roof’s shut it gets a bit sweaty and the ball gets wet after 30 minutes, so we’ll look at the weather forecast,” he said. “If it’s going to be terrible weather we’ll look to shut it, because we want to play a positive game as well. We won’t be rushed into a decision.”

Meanwhile, Zander Fagerson has revealed his mixed emotions after coming off the bench to win his first cap against England. The 20-year-old tighthead prop was delighted to have realised a long-held ambition of playing for his country, but was downhearted at the end of the 15-9 defeat.

“I was pretty gutted,” he went on. “That game was there for the taking. We were six points away from getting the win.

“I was pretty down after it. I looked back and then I thought ‘First cap, I have to enjoy it’. Couldn’t have a sad face all the time.

“I had three scrums. It was just like playing for Glasgow in the Champions Cup - a bit faster and noisier, but I didn’t feel out of my depth. I tried the whole day not to let the emotion get in the way of it - I just took it as any other game. Felt pretty comfortable.

“I didn’t know I was definitely going to get on, so I was really chuffed to get ten minutes. It was pretty immense and I had a great time.

“First taste of international rugby. I loved every second, so I’m hungry for more.”

Strangely for someone who looks to be such a natural prop, Fagerson only switched to the front row from the back four years ago. He credits the smooth transition in part to the advice given him by other props.

“I was No 8 up until 16s. I’d like to say I was a good No 8 - I possibly wasn’t the fittest or fastest, but I think that helps me with loose play just now.

“The technical side is coming along nicely every game. I don’t know if I’m a quick learner or I listen well. I just take on board what everyone says, soak it all in. WP has been a good help, and I’ve just been asking questions and picking his brain. Having Euan Murray at Glasgow last year was also awesome.”