As a Scotland captain and grand slam winner, it would have been understandable if Roy Laidlaw had expected Jed-Forest rugby to revolve around him whenever he turned out for his little hometown club.

Instead it said everything about the man that, far from playing the prima donna, he spent the latter days of a club career largely in the second division, moving aside to offer support to the man who was taking the shirt off his back.

Laidlaw's selflessness proved to be not only in Jed-Forest's interests, but that of the rugby nation since it meant that, when he did stand down from the national side in 1988, he was replaced seamlessly by Gary Armstrong, who was to supplant him as Scotland's greatest scrum-half of all time.

Bloodlines run deep in the Borders, so it should have been no surprise to anyone to see how Laidlaw's nephew, Greig, has been prepared to do whatever is required to drive Edinburgh's Heineken Cup campaign forward.

On his appointment as club captain, he could have been forgiven for seizing the opportunity to use that status by insisting on spending as much time as possible in his preferred position at scrum-half.

Instead, while promising youngsters Harry Leonard and Gregor Hunter are being developed and Phil Godman has been gradually working back towards full fitness, Laidlaw has slotted in superbly at stand-off, allowing the management to field both him and Scotland's most-capped scrum-half Mike Blair, rather than having to choose between them.

Still hugely ambitious on a personal level, Laidlaw's versatility was not quite enough to earn him a place in the World Cup squad, but he has received assurances from the national team management that switching positions is not diminishing the prospects of him adding to the two caps he has won so far.

In terms of his stature, he has, meanwhile, done himself no harm whatsoever in the way he has both led his side and usurped, as the team's main points accumulator, Chris Paterson, who was, not so long ago, regarded as the most reliable goalkicker in Test rugby.

Very much the nuggety little fellow to be expected of his background and job description, he is relishing every part of the responsibility even though, slightly wary of questioning and with a dry sense of humour, he may not always look as if it is the case.

"Enjoyment is probably the key word," said Laidlaw. "Our league form has not been the best, but we got off to a flier in Europe. It's always hard to have an away game first up in Europe so, when we won at London Irish in the first match, it probably changed our focus a bit."

He may deserve more credit than most for bringing a harder edge to Edinburgh this season, but Laidlaw is quick to point to the contribution of coaches and fellow players in bringing them to a position where they can clinch a Heineken Cup quarter-final place with a home win over London Irish on Sunday.

"Things are a bit different under [new coach] Michael Bradley this season," he said. "He's brought a bit of clarity in the way he wants us to play. He wants us to get over the gain-line and be aggressive.

"Dave Denton, in particular, has been fantastic in doing that. He is arguably the best ball carrier in Scotland and, while he's not an import because he's Scotland-qualified, he has grown up overseas and brought something extra to our game. Grant Gilchrist is another who has really made a difference. People have maybe not noticed him so much but he's played virtually every game this season and has done a great job.

"There's a hardness about the side now. A lot of it comes from Michael, but it's the players who take the pitch and we've also got Fordy [Scotland hooker Ross Ford], [Fiji internationalist] Netani Talei and Sean Cox who has been another good find for us."

In many ways, it was the unheralded Cox who set the tone for this campaign when, after Denton had been taken out of the first meeting with London Irish by a cheap shot challenge from Shontayne Hape which ultimately led to the England internationalist being cited and banned, the newcomer came off the bench and responded in kind.

Bradley subsequently took the politically correct line when saying that his player had perhaps been irresponsible in first confronting Hape within moments of taking the field, then delivering a blow to him which meant Cox, too, was cited. However, the act of solidarity struck a chord with his colleagues.

"All the boys appreciated that," said Laidlaw. "We found out a bit about Sean that day: that he was right up for the fight and taking it to them."

Having been nine points behind away from home, Edinburgh went on to steal victory in the closing stages of that match when Laidlaw, having come off the bench, brilliantly converted Stuart McInally's 68th-minute try to nudge them 20-19 ahead, then marshalled the rearguard effort that guided them home.

Restored to the starting XV a week later, he had to do it again when what was probably the greatest rugby match played at Murrayfield ended with Edinburgh rallying from 24 points behind to beat Racing Metro 48-47. Laidlaw converted all six of their tries, one of which he scored, as well as adding two penalties.

That 23-point haul again included the match-winning strike when, from the touchline, he converted Tim Visser's second touchdown. "I'm just pleased with the way that's come out," he said of his kicking. "It's one of my jobs. I've been kicking well and, as long as you trust in your technique, it's just another kick."

Indeed, but it is also about temperament and, while he left the match-winning strike to Phil Godman in Paris last week, Laidlaw again demonstrated that ability to do what was required at the key moments by steering his men into the position that let the replacement register the winning drop goal. "It was great because the forwards listened to our demands and then Phil did brilliantly [with the final kick]," he said. There is an understatedness about all of that which is very much reminiscent of his uncle who, in the course of winning 47 caps from what had been one of the less fashionable Borders clubs, became one of the most popular figures in the sport.

By way of a footnote, then, it is worth recording that Roy was 26 years old when he made his Test debut in 1980. Greig may not have started for Scotland then, but he turned 26 just a few months ago. With two appearances as a replacement, he has a slight lead to build on and, whether as scrum-half or stand-off, he may be another who will go on to match, or even surpass, the great man's achievements.

As with the pleasure he took in Gary Armstrong's career, no-one will be  happier if that happens than Roy Laidlaw whose genes are contributing to making Greig the man he is.