Scotland will 'get stuck in', says skipper Greig Laidlaw

Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw wants visiting opponents to feel fiercely intimidated every time they step on to the Murrayfield turf.

"What we need to do is get stuck in, we really need to get hammered into teams, especially at Murrayfield," the scrum-half told BBC Scotland.

"We need to make this a horrible place for teams to come.

"They need to feel as if the walls are closing in on their lives as we squeeze them every time they have the ball."

Scotland are aiming to end a sequence of four home losses when the autumn Test series begins against Argentina on Saturday.

And Gloucester's Laidlaw will lead the side for an eighth time following an injury to Grant Gilchrist.

"It's about playing with pride and passion and putting our skill-set out there for people to see," said the 29-year-old looking ahead to the Pumas clash before matches with New Zealand and Tonga.

Saturday will mark Vern Cotter's home debut after the head coach steered the Scots to three wins from four during the summer.

"What Vern has done is put in place a good framework for us to make the correct decisions at any given time," explained Laidlaw.

"He has also given us license to play.

"We have an attacking back-line and a back three with a lot of speed. If we can get those players into space, we are looking to cause Argentina a lot of problems.

"We have three tough games and they are hugely important. They are massive in terms of building confidence before the Six Nations and leading into the World Cup."

Cotter has been impressed by his pool of players in training, although Gilchrist has joined Matt Scott on the injured list, while Dave Denton and Ryan Grant are only just returning to fitness after lengthy lay-offs.

"We can feel a positive dynamic in the group, they are working hard for each other and really looking forward to these games," the New Zealander told BBC Scotland.

"We have players of quality. If we are resilient, if we are consistent and have belief in our ability, we might get a couple of wins and generally develop our game as we would like.

"To score points we need to keep the ball. We have a mobile forward pack, an exciting back-line and we can create a form of stress that we can get a reward from."

Cotter has sought advice for former Scotland greats Jim Telfer, Andy Irvine, Ian McGeechan and is keen to stress the importance of history.

"The jersey we wear is very important," he added. "It's nice to recognise some of the deeds that have gone before, the character displayed by those who have worn the badge before.

"But what the players are really interested in is what they do in their time and what they leave as memories.

"Hopefully, the standards they set will be continued by those who come next."