Scotland's forthcoming tour is perhaps being billed as an early opportunity for many players to catch the eye but, for Steve Lawrie, getting to South Africa has been a circuitous, arduous and treacherous road.

In many ways that is exactly why he has made the squad, his head coach indicating yesterday that the 29-year-old hooker's battle hardness is what earned him his opportunity.

Like fellow front-row man Ryan Grant before him, Lawrie's prospects looked limited when Andy Robinson, Edinburgh's then head coach, advised him he was surplus to requirements six years ago. However, hooking up with his previous head coach, Lynn Howells, at Doncaster offered a lifeline in the professional game and he seized it, gaining captaincy experience that has doubtless contributed to Scott Johnson's view of him as "an impressive bloke" who has "leadership in him."

"That's a tough breeding ground," Lawrie said of what is the second tier of English professional rugby. "You only have to look at Tom Youngs [the Leicester Tigers, England and now Lions hooker] who had to play at Nottingham for two or three seasons to learn his trade."

Things have not gone completely smoothly since he returned following those two years south of the border but Lawrie is grateful for the support that has got him into a position to be given this chance.

"Injuries have obviously been frustrating and it's testament to the physios at Edinburgh getting me back on the field," he said.

Physically and mentally, then, he is now ready.

"I don't really like to say it's been coming, you just focus on playing for your club and trying to play as well as you can and don't think about anything else, but it's nice to have been given the opportunity," said Lawrie.

Where Grant has admitted to having considered quitting the professional game before being given his second chance with Glasgow Warriors, going on to establish himself in the Scotland side and be generally considered as very unlucky not to make the Lions tour, Lawrie maintains he never lost sight of his boyhood goal.

"I don't think you ever give up on wanting to play for your country," he said. "It was more about going down there and developing. I spoke to Andy Robinson in 2007 or 2008, just before I went down and opportunities were limited up here, and I said I felt I needed to be playing and he agreed so I went down to Doncaster and it was fantastic.

"Lynn Howells gave me the opportunity to captain the side and it developed my gam,e so it was a good opportunity. But it was always a goal to come back and play well having had that experience."

He has done particularly well to demonstrate himself worthy of the chance at the end of a season in which Edinburgh have failed miserably in spite of containing two former Lions hookers in Ross Ford and Andy Titterrell.

Like the younger uncapped players in the squad, Lawrie will now be aiming to prove the management right in giving him his chance, but no-one will appreciate the opportunity more.