Scotland may be expected to turn to Dan Parks as a safe pair of hands and feet for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations opener against England at Murrayfield but the country's most dependable performer of the past decade reckons Greig Laidlaw has forced his way into the reckoning.

Having quit Test rugby as the most reliable goal-kicker in the game Chris Paterson reckons his Edinburgh captain has found a level of form that means he should be considered at some stage in this competition as the player who can help bring a new dimension to Scotland's play.

Laidlaw has been an inspirational figure for Edinburgh since taking over the leadership this season, steering them to a Heineken Cup quarter-final.

What has been all the more impressive is that he has mostly been out of position at stand-off and with Ruaridh Jackson, who was Scotland's first choice playmaker at the World Cup, now out of the running because injury has prevented him from getting match practice, the management has a tough decision. The options include turning once again to Mr Reliable Parks or gallus young Glaswegian Duncan Weir and both have the advantage over Laidlaw of being out-and-out specialists.

Paterson acknowledged that it is by no means a straightforward choice for Andy Robinson and his team. "Duncan Weir played well at the start of the year and brings a different type of game, while Parksy will always be a contender," Paterson went on.

"You know what he's going to give you and he's always going to have a massive influence on how Scotland play [but] I think Greig's been playing really well."

Phil Godman has also been recalled to the squad but is another who has had very little game time, partly because of the way Laidlaw has stamped his authority on his team's play.

Perhaps what has been most telling is that the niggling groin problem that has prevented Paterson from kicking goals since returning from the World Cup in New Zealand has gone unnoticed such has been Laidlaw's form and the veteran is full of praise for the way his fellow Borderer has responded to the challenge.

"On looking at the games through the Heineken Cup and what he's done recently Greig Laidlaw has been outstanding," said Scotland's record cap holder and points scorer. "He's a scrum-half probably . . . a scrum-half to trade, but he's such a good player and a clever player that I think he's been playing exceptionally at stand-off."

As a man who knows about these things, Paterson has complete confidence in Laidlaw's kicking under pressure and claims he has the ability to adapt when his game isn't going to plan. "Greig is such a natural striker of the ball," he said. "You can see it when he plays golf as well. He understands his kicking well enough that if anything does go wrong he can make adjustments quickly."

It is always dangerous to over-read selections but it was plausible to read a clue into Robinson's thinking this week when Ross Ford was named captain partly on the basis that he, like Kelly Brown who had been first choice before an injury ruled him out of the campaign, is an automatic pick.

Previously, Robinson has said that he likes to make scrum-halves captain and in what is a fierce contest the form of Chris Cusiter, has made him the favourite from among the three men who have captained Scotland in that position under the current head coach.

Cusiter was captain when Robinson won silverware in his first campaign after taking over as coach, at the IRB Nations Cup in Romania in 2009 and was the first player to lead a Scotland team out in a Test match under him later that year.

That he has not been named captain suggests he is not an automatic choice for all five matches which may in turn be because, if Laidlaw is to play out of position at stand-off, it could help him to be paired with Mike Blair, his regular partner at Edinburgh.

Not that Laidlaw in any way seems the sort to need that sort of reassurance, but given that Edinburgh have shown the way in the department where Scotland have been failing for years, the capacity to score tries, a strong argument could be made for putting the pair together if and when a change of style is pursued.

Admittedly, with Weir calling the shots, Glasgow Warriors have been the more consistent of the two pro teams this season and until a recent dip in form the temptation was to throw the self-assured youngster into the fray. His personality is such that he certainly looks a long-term solution in a problem position.

However in terms of that playing style, Glasgow's approach has been rather more familiar to Scottish eyes as they have ground out the results they have achieved while scoring just 24 tries this season to Edinburgh's 44, which at an average of almost two and a half per game, is well up on Scotland's abysmal recent strike-rate.

The issue with Parks is similar since, with a mood for change in the air his selection on the basis of knowing what they are going to get, will be seen as overly conservative.

Both Weir and Parks are high-class kickers but Laidlaw has been the most impressive of all.

His eight kicks from eight attempts, the most recent a match winner, and a try in registering a personal haul of 23 points in the epic 48-47 win over Racing Metro, helped offer the first sign that this might be an exceptional campaign for Edinburgh.

In the crucial match against London Irish he was flawless with six out of six and many of those kicks have been touchline conversions.

Most important of all, though, has been his demeanour since he has looked nerveless in the crucial moments.

Saturday may not be the occasion, but the time to take the calculated risk of playing Laidlaw at stand-off in a Test match is surely approaching.

Chris Paterson was speaking at the event of the RBS 6 Nations Roadshow at Hillfooots Rugby Club. The initiative aims to reward clubs across Scotland who have been performing well in their respective leagues as well as recognise the work they do in their communities.

To find out more visit rbs.co.uk/ scottishrugby