When it came to getting tries for Scotland, Mike Blair was always more of a maker than a taker, but if anyone doubted the scrum-half's instincts, then the score he contributed to Newcastle's 38-7 victory over London Welsh at Kingston Park on Sunday would surely have put them right.

 

From a poor clearance kick - by Piri Weepu of all people - Newcastle shipped the ball quickly from the right touchline to the left. The mercurial Sinoti Sinoti danced past a couple of Exiles defenders, flanker Mark Wilson came steaming up in support and Blair positioned himself beautifully to take the scoring pass and dash over the line.

It was a heartwarming reminder not just that the 33-year-old is still a pretty sharp operator, but also of his ability to read the flow of a game. And as he ponders the question of whether to extend his rugby career beyond the end of this season - when he will have completed the two seasons at Newcastle he originally signed up for - it seems he is more and more tempted by the prospect of making his living in coaching instead.

"At the moment, I'm not too sure which way I'll go," Blair explained. "From a family perspective, I would probably want to know what I was doing by about the start of March. It is about whether I still want to play or whether other opportunities come up, but I've got nothing nailed down at the moment.

"I'm keeping my ear to the ground and exploring different opportunities, whether it is playing or not playing. Coaching is definitely something I'm passionate about. I will certainly be looking to stay in the game when I stop playing."

It is easy to suspect that the recent upturn in Newcastle's fortunes might persuade him to carry on in his current role for another season. Blair joined the Tyneside outfit just after they had secured promotion from the English Championship, but his first season was a time of grim toil for the club, who were saved from immediate relegation only by the fact that Worcester were marginally worse.

Just lately, however, something remarkable has happened at Kingston Park. Having scored just 23 tries over the course of last season's 22 games, they have started running them in for fun. The six they put past London Welsh earned them a bonus point with something to spare, but the four they had claimed away to Northampton - albeit in defeat - the previous weekend was an achievement that made the rest of the sport sit up and take note.

Blair said: "It has been a lot more positive from the team's point of view and from a personal point of view this season, as opposed to last season.

Last season was difficult with the weather, the pitch and the way we were trying to play. This year [with a new artificial surface installed over summer] I think the pitch is one of the main things for us; it just allows us to play with a bit more pace."

Blair believes that Dave Walder, who joined as attack coach a few months ago, has also made his presence felt in the way Newcastle are now playing. "He was still playing until relatively recently, so he has a great understanding of how the game is now played," said the former Edinburgh half-back. "He just seems to have given us a bit of a boost in how he wants us to play."

It is just over two years now since Blair decided to bring his 85-cap Scotland career to a close. On his departure, he was the most capped Scottish scrum-half of all time, and only Chris Paterson and Scott Murray had played more often for the country. Since then, he and Murray have been overtaken by Sean Lamont, but even the fact he is younger than the evergreen Lamont has not persuaded him he made the wrong decision when he stepped down.

"I had thought of going earlier, but I was still enjoying it," he said. "But once I had moved to France [for one season with Brive], that was the thing that clinched it.

"At the first game after my retirement I ended up doing some corporate stuff. I thought that when the guys were running out onto the pitch that there would be a bit of me wishing I was there, but there wasn't and that made me even more comfortable with the decision I had made."

Always one of the most thoughtful players in the game, Blair's perceptive blog for the BBC is evidence of his insight. So what was his take on the Scots' autumn performances - and how does he rate their prospects for the Six Nations ahead?

"I really enjoyed the Argentina game," he said. "I liked the simplicity of it and how they have moved on with what they are trying to do. I think Vern Cotter is going to be very good for us.

"Vern is bringing in little things that seem to be working well. But the real test comes once other teams know what you are trying to do. Then, it's about being able to add to your game.

"Nobody would have done much analysis of Scotland's style leading into the November games, but with the Six Nations coming up, it's sure as hell that teams will be trying to work out what we are trying to do."