The only Scotsman ever to have captained a team that has beaten the All Blacks in a Test match has urged his compatriots to throw caution to the wind at Murrayfield today.

Gavin Hastings was part of a Scotland team that came tantalisingly close to lifting the hoodoo that has now lasted more than a century when David Sole’s Grand Slam winning side was beaten 21-18 in the second Test of their tour in 1990.

However Hastings was the lone Scot afield when he led the British & Irish Lions to victory in the second Test of their series three years later and while he acknowledges that there is something extra special about facing the world’s best side he believes he has seen more recent evidence of how to get the better of them.

“The thing about the All Blacks is that no-one gives you a chance, but the Scotland sevens team beat New Zealand for the very first time in May,” he said.

“And Greig Laidlaw had a kick to put Scotland in the lead with only 10 or 15 minutes to go, but he missed it. You just have to take every chance.

“(Ireland’s) Jonny Sexton had a chance to win the game against the All Blacks about five years ago and that will probably be his greatest regret in his life, but you just have to play the game of your life and then some.

“That day Ireland should have beaten them in Dublin they had interceptions, they had the bounce of the ball, they just had things in their favour. But you know what, we’re only going to beat the All Blacks by doing something ridiculous. You may as well go down fighting, but let’s have a go.

“You need a bounce of a ball. You maybe get an interception and you score another one and you score another one and your defence is sound. You need everything going in your favour. That’s it.

“We showed against Ireland last year that if you get off to a fast start and take your chances, which we obviously did, then things can happen.

“It’ll be interesting. I’m looking forward to it and it’s always great to see the All Blacks… there’s something magical about them.”

He also believes Scotland have an inspirational performer in their own ranks who can, over the next few years, help take the game to new heights in the shape of his latest successor in the No.15 shirt.

Stuart Hogg’s try in the early moments of last week’s match against Samoa saw him match Hastings’ Test try haul to move up to joint fourth in the all-time lists and the former Scotland skipper reckons the 25-year-old is capable will eclipse the long-standing record of 24 set by ‘The Flying Scot’ Ian Smith 85 years ago.

“You’ve got to think he’ll sail past the record and the way Gregor’s encouraging the team to play will help that,” said Hastings.

“He is a breath of fresh air for Scottish rugby and notwithstanding that last summer the Lions tour wasn’t as kind to him as it might have been, the fact is that he’s a double British (and Irish) Lion and he knows that he is up there amongst the best players in Britain and Ireland.

“That gives you a confidence that you might not otherwise have. You do get confident when you’ve been in that environment and you realise that you aren’t a lesser player to any of the so-called higher players.

“He would get into any of the other home nations. That is the reality of the situation. He would be number one full-back for Ireland, England and Wales as well as Scotland. So that’s a great accolade, it’s a great string to his bow.

“It’s very exciting that he’s getting people to the edge of their seats and I think he’s matured a lot as a rugby player in the last three or four years.”