The religious convictions that prevent him from playing on Sundays have been the focus of much of the attention paid to one of his country's finest players of a generation, but Euan Murray has reverted to sporting orthodoxy in encouraging those involved in Scottish rugby to keep the faith.

Just how many devout followers there are these days among the thousands who will flock to the rugby shrine that is Murrayfield over the next month is open to debate in these corporate, prawn-sandwich munching days.

Even among the most blindly loyal of true believers doubts have crept in of late as one false prophecy has followed another.