GLOUCESTER’S Greig Laidlaw may be the master but Scotland’s apprentice scrum-halves will fight him all the way for a starting berth at the World Cup later this year, according to Chris Paterson.

Laidlaw moved south of the border from Edinburgh to Gloucester last summer and in his absence, two fresh-faced No.9s in Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Henry Pyrgos have helped elevate Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors respectively.

Hidalgo-Clyne, 21, was instrumental as Edinburgh became the first Scottish side to reach a European final before falling to defeat against Laidlaw’s Gloucester.

There is yet more competition in the form of Pyrgos, who has enjoyed his best year in Glasgow colours after producing a masterful performance in the Pro12 final.

And former captain Paterson, who appeared in four World Cups for Scotland and is still his country’s leading cap-holder and points-maker, believes Laidlaw’s seniority does not guarantee him a spot in the starting line-up for Scotland’s opening World Cup clash with Japan on September 23.

“Seeing Laidlaw and Hildalgo-Clyne playing opposite each other in the Challenge Cup final was great,” said Paterson.

“I’ve played with Greig for a long time, and I know Sam very well, and they are both very strong characters.

“It was a classic matchup, seeing the up-and-coming guy against the old hand, and it was great to see how much it meant to both of them.

“One has been in the international game for a long time and the other is just coming in, and it is a perfect example of having to be ready for your moment – not looking back or forward.

“It’s a great scrap, and if you throw Henry Pyrgos in there as well – who had a fantastic season for Glasgow and is a great decision-maker – you can see we have the strength in depth there as well.

“That is the situation in a lot of positions, and those two and Henry are all goal-kickers as well.

“In that department usually that responsibility falls to just one person, so there is clearly a lot of depth in Scottish rugby and a lot more to come as well.”

Paterson was speaking on Sunday at the Land Rover Rugby Trophy Tour event at Highland RFC in Inverness.

Land Rover are a Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2015 and – along with recruiting all 96 official mascots for Rugby World Cup 2015 as part of its We Deal In Real campaign – the Trophy Tour will travel through the UK and Ireland before arriving at Twickenham Stadium on 18 September ahead of the opening ceremony.

The 100-day journey will engage fans at over 100 grassroots and elite rugby clubs, and give them the opportunity to get a close-up view of the Webb Ellis Cup and build unforgettable memories as part of their own Rugby World Cup 2015 story.

And Paterson, a four-time World Cup veteran, hopes the tour could inspire young players across Scotland to pull on the dark blue jersey themselves one day.

“It’s absolutely brilliant and inspiring to see all the kids turning out,” said the 37-year-old.

“I’ve been with the trophy for the whole of the five-day Scottish leg, and everyone is just in awe of this fabulous trophy – hopefully some of them will even be inspired to compete for Scotland one day.

“I absolutely love being here to see all of them. I can still remember as a kid seeing the trophy going around here before the 1991 World Cup, and what a big impact it had on me.

“We are 95 days out from the World Cup now and the excitement here is really building already.

“The trophy carries so much stature, so for it to get up here, to Glasgow, Aberdeen, the Highlands and all the other places it has been is brilliant.”

Chris Patterson was speaking on behalf of Land Rover at Highland RFC when Land Rover and the Rugby World Cup 2015 Defender brought the Webb Ellis Cup to the grassroots club, as part of the 100 Day Tour of the UK and Ireland. Follow @LandRoverRugby #WeDealInReal