Coach Vern Cotter is being heralded for turning around Scotland’s Test rugby fortunes as well as providing an insight on how to tackle the All Blacks at Murrayfield.

Scottish captain Greig Laidlaw says New Zealander Cotter has made an immediate impact by instilling some traditional gaelic values since taking the reins this year.

The world’s eighth-ranked team have won four out of five Tests under the former Bay of Plenty coach and Crusaders assistant, although the loss was a 55-6 hammering in South Africa in June.

They bounced back to outgun Argentina 41-31 in an encouraging attacking display last weekend, based on Cotter’s desire that they come out of their collective shell.

“He’s really passionate about Scotland going back to their roots a little bit,” halfback Laidlaw said ahead of Saturday’s Test.

“It’s grit and determination first and foremost, and getting stuck in.

“Then we’re not going to die wondering. We’ll try to chuck the ball about when it’s on and tighten it up when we need to.”

Although Cotter hasn’t been involved with the All Blacks – he left the Crusaders in 2006 to begin eight seasons in charge of French club giants Clermont Auvergne – his New Zealand background is especially useful this week.

Helped by input from two Kiwi-raised players, wing Sean Maitland and flanker Blair Cowan, Laidlaw’s men are getting a crash course in what makes the All Blacks tick.

“Vern knows their psyche a lot more than we do as Scotsmen.

“If it’s a tight game they always seem to come out on top and that’s not by coincidence.”

Laidlaw says it was noted that England’s defensive line speed rattled the tourists last week at Twickenham.

However, they couldn’t maintain it for 80 minutes as the All Blacks squeezed to a 24-21 win.

All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster says he has enjoyed a long history of competition with Cotter.

Their durable provincial playing careers overlapped for five seasons – Foster as Waikato’s reliable five-eighth and Cotter as a rugged No.8 for Counties.

Foster remembers locking horns with Cotter at NPC coaching level from 2002.

Cotter’s Bay of Plenty teams were a tough nut to crack and good enough to lift the Ranfurly Shield off Auckland in 2004, his last season.

“He did a great job with the team over the hill. They always played a tough, physical game but he gave them a licence to play as well,” Foster recalled.

“I certainly see similarities in some aspects of what they (Scotland) are doing.”