But despite ending up on the losing side, McInally continued to show the kind of form that has people linking him with a first Scotland cap.

He might have Kelly Brown, Richie Vernon and Johnnie Beattie standing in his way but he is used to it this season, having Fiji’s World Cup captain Netani Talei to contend for the No.8 jersey at club level in the RaboDirect PRO 12.

But despite the plaudits that have been coming his way, McInally insists he is taking things step by step in terms of his international ambitions.

“I’ve really been trying not to think about that,” McInally told the Scotsman. “I feel if I put too much pressure on myself I don’t perform well.

“I came into this just wanting to play well for Edinburgh. I prefer just to focus on what I’m doing for Edinburgh and whatever comes comes.

“I don’t take anything for granted and my goal at the moment is to cement myself in the Edinburgh back row, something I’ve been trying to do all season and I feel I’m pushing and pushing to nail down that No 8 slot.

“It’s about playing consistently week in week out and that’s my goal.

“Every time I get on the pitch I feel I have to make a statement. Netani is a big, physical player and I think that was what they’d been looking for the last couple of weeks, and they asked me to come back this week and be physical, so that was a big goal for me, to show my physicality.”