He was noted as the architect of the game, changing the play by slowing down to a walking pace, his team showing excellent ball skills and patience before bursting through defences with agility and speed.
[5] Laughland captained Scotland for the last two years of his playing career, winning the Calcutta cup on two occasions at both Twickenham in 1964 and Murrayfield Stadium in 1965.
Bill McLaren says of a game against South Africa in 1960: The Scottish try was a typical opportunist effort by Scotland's captain Arthur Smith.
), and George Stevenson (Hawick) set a superb example, that deprived a South African threequarter line comprising Janie Engelbrecht, Ian Kirkpatrick, John Gainsford and Hennie van Zyl of a try; some feat considering that those four contributed 38 tries during the tour.
[6]McLaren also paid Laughland the accolade of selecting him as his fly half and captain for the all-time greatest Scottish side from those who played between 1950 and 2003.
Other sporting achievements include captaining Scotland School boys at Cricket (1953) and playing for Nairn County Football Club whilst stationed as a Lieutenant with the Sea Forth Highlanders.