Laidlaw replaced captain Blair in the 49-3 reverse but with his Gunners teammate now verging on a return, the understudy has warned his senior he’ll have to fight for his place, for club and for country.

Edinburgh are preparing for their 1872 Cup return clash with Glasgow Warriors on Sunday after sinking their rivals 30-18 in the first leg at Firhill.

And with February’s RBS 6 Nations opener just around the corner, Laidlaw believes there is no better time to reinforce coaches Rob Moffat and Robinson’s faith in him.

"Moff's probably already got a good idea who he's going to pick," said Laidlaw.

"If he's going to stick with me, which I hope he does, it's good.

"Breaking into the Scotland side has been on my mind since the start of the season.

"It was frustrating for me at the beginning of this year - I wasn't getting too many games - but Mike's been injured so it's turned a corner for me now.

"I'll be looking to push on now into 2011 and hopefully get in the squad for the Six Nations."