As a rule, you want your blindside flanker to be immune to pain – especially other people's – yet even by the standards of that profession, Al Strokosch is a class apart.

The Paisley-born 30-year-old had a karate black belt to his name before he was a teenager. It would be pleasing to report that he moved over to rugby for the camaraderie and the esprit de corps, but you suspect he only made the change when he spotted an opportunity to hit more people, more often and a good deal harder. Which is pretty much what he has been doing since.

A year in the life of that highly polished head tells you pretty much all you need to know about Strokosch. Last June, he was clattering it against that of Joe Ansbro's in an exuberant, if badly unco-ordinated, celebration after Scotland's win against Australia. As blood poured from his wound, it was still easy to see the broad grin on his face, and he was back in training a few days later.

Then, in November, he was caught at the bottom of a ruck in Scotland's match against New Zealand at Murrayfield. As he lay on the ground, the boot of All Blacks flanker Adam Thompson came crashing down on his head. Thompson was yellow-carded for his offence, but Strokosch shrugged it off. "I barely felt it," he said with a smile.

The most recent bash to his bonce occurred last month in Scotland's opening Six Nations match, against England at Twickenham. Early in the first half, Strokosch was carted off with a fractured eye socket, the kind of injury that can bring a season to an early end but which inconvenienced Strokosch in much the same way as a broken nail might.

So here he is again. Back at Murrayfield and back in the Scotland side after warming up with a bit of match practice with Perpignan. But doesn't he worry about all these injuries? Doesn't it concern him that his skull takes such punishment?

"It's not ruined my good looks yet," he added, beaming. "So I'll keep doing it."

In other words, he'll keep throwing himself in where it hurts most. Or rather, where it hurts other people most.

Strokosch has taken the place of Glasgow's Rob Harley. It is a tough call on young Harley, who hasn't done a great deal wrong in his three starts for Scotland in this Six Nations, but Scott Johnson clearly felt that the breakdown problems than have bedevilled Scotland throughout this tournament would be better addressed with a bit of hard-nosed experience. And noses don't come much harder than Strokosch's.

Strokosch is talking about the French back row. Sure, France have lost three and drawn one in the tournament to date and they are propping up the table going into the final weekend, but there is quality to die for in that Toulouse triumvirate of Thierry Dusautoir, Yannick Nyanga and Louis Picamoles.

The forward says that Dusautoir and Nyanga provide a devastating combination of pace and bulk. He reckons Picamoles has been the outstanding No.8 in this championship. But, he has a plan to deal with the threat. "You've just got to meet it head on," he admitted. "There's no other way to deal with anything, really. Meet it head on."

Biding his time in France, Strokosch has watched with bemusement as the country's rugby fans have struggled to cope with their team's woes and a run of results that was improved only slightly with last weekend's 13-13 draw with Ireland in Dublin.

Commentators have suggested the French have lapsed into introspection, questioning every aspect of their approach, but he offers a different analysis. "I don't know about soul-searching," he says. "I think they'll just be going off their heads. I think they're a bit bemused, to be fair. Some of the things I've read, from what I can understand, they have questioned the coach, mainly."

There is certainly no confusion in the minds of Perpignan followers about Strokosch's qualities, either. The Catalan fans warmed to the Scot and his no-nonsense ways, all the more so after a run of results that have taken the club into sixth place in the Top 14, handily placed for both domestic play-off and Heineken Cup slots.

Strokosch, for his part, loves the French rugby culture. "It's brilliant," he added. "Doesn't matter what team you go to, there's always a big and partisan crowd, almost football-type. It brings a good edge to the game.

"Latin countries are very emotional; they don't hold much back. They're not particularly reserved about anything, and that's what they bring to their game, as well."

Of course, he also knows that all that emotion will be driving France on against Scotland in the Stade de France on Saturday evening but he's ready for it.

"They have pushed themselves into a corner," he observed. "They definitely don't want to lose to us at home, so they're going to come out pretty fiery. They are a proud rugby team and nation, and they will feel that they are in a position they should not be in.

"We've got to set out to make it uncomfortable for them. Scrummaging is a big part of that, a really good indicator of how a French pack is performing so, if we can take that away from them, it will be a good start.

"If we deny them the field possession and the territory, that's the way to do it."