An old mongrel of a prop, Allan Jacobsen was on the point of proving he had reached a new level by learning some new tricks when personal disaster struck last autumn.

Having improved his lifestyle and upped his training regime to be, with his 29th birthday fast approaching, in the best condition of his career, personal disaster struck when, during the opening match of the World Cup, a 10p-sized hole tore in his calf muscle. In the greater scheme of things it was by no means a catastrophic injury, but it meant the end of his tournament and a real test of resolve.

"Directly after it I was devastated," he admitted. "For the first couple of weeks I couldn't train or anything and all this work I'd done was gradually going down the pan. I was in a bad place those first couple of weeks, but I thought Why ruin it all?' I know now what I have to do to keep up with everyone. It's tough sometimes but, if I want to be here or hereabouts, I just have to keep doing it.

"However, when I started training again it got better quickly. I got back into the Edinburgh team and from there I've felt really good, playing okay and getting picked every week, so I just hoped I could get back here."

There are few more popular figures in the national squad than this gruff, mischievous individual, as was demonstrated by the clear sadness in the Scotland camp in L'Etrat when he had to leave in September, and he has clearly fed off the support of colleagues.

"I'm mostly happy with the way I've been playing," was his understated assessment of what many reckon to be in the form of his life. "Obviously there are always things that can get better and there are things I need to work on, but coming back into the Edinburgh team when the boys were playing well, then the rest of the boys came back from the World Cup, it's been a good period to be playing well.

"When everyone's playing well it helps, and the fact that the boys at Edinburgh have been working so hard has helped everyone after the World Cup, as has new head coach Andy Robinson coming in."

That environment has also rewarded the decision to concentrate Scotland's resources into two teams, creating the sort of competition for places that means Dave Callam is playing for Scotland even though he cannot get a game for his club because Ally Hogg is captaining the team from the No.8 position.

With Edinburgh still providing the biggest contingent in the squad, that can, in turn, benefit the national side. "I think the boys are coming into this with a lot more confidence than in the past. Boys are playing out their skin trying to get a game for Edinburgh and that's making a big difference to the way we're performing," he said.