FORGET the young bucks, the runners and the glory boys; Ross Ford is the key man for Scotland and their World Cup campaign this month. So says a man who should know, having been through two World Cup campaigns including the one in 1991 in which Scotland put in their best performance, finishing fourth after blowing a golden chance to reach the final.

This is how it all came about. We are sitting in the Three Sisters pub in Edinburgh, which Caledonian Brewery are turning into a fans’ hub for the duration of the tournament in England, and Kenny Milne, the hooker, and Doddie Weir, the lock, are holding court about their days in the blue shirt, reflecting on how things have changed in the professional era and wondering about the national side’s prospects this year.

Eventually, the discussion turns to the question of experience, or the lack of it, in the Scotland squad and how that affects their chances. For Milne, the answer is obvious. “Ross Ford should be the most important player for Scotland,” he said. “He is at the heart of everything. He has the experience and is performing pretty well.

“He has always had a hard time from the Scottish public and press because they expect so much of him, but he is now starting to deliver what he is capable of. I think he is genuinely a player most international sides would comfortably have in their squad.”

With 88 caps, Ford is by far the most capped player guaranteed his place in the starting XV of any frontline game with Alasdair Dickinson next on 46. Sean Lamont is ahead on 96, but faces fierce competition for his spot and is more likely to be seen off the bench as he closes in on his century.

Experience really is the big issue with this team. In all, 21 of the 31-man squad have fewer than 20 caps, seven have between 20 and 40; only three have gone past 40. It is a desperately inexperienced side.

It is so different to Milne and Weir’s day. When they were heading for their first World Cup in 1991, they had won the Grand Slam the year before. Admittedly, Milne was really a bit-part player in that campaign, though Weir played in all six of Scotland’s games including the Bronze play-off against New Zealand, but they were both at the core of the side, and highly experienced four years later in South Africa, when they came within seconds of beating France and giving themselves a winnable draw through to the semi-finals or beyond instead of facing the Jonah Lomu-inspired Kiwis in the quarters.

“I think there is a balance between experience and youthful exuberance,” said Milne. “Scotland will need their experienced players – Ross Ford, Greig Laidlaw – to be involved and really controlling and using every ounce of their experience to help the youngsters through.

“A lot of our youngsters have a lot of confidence, a lot of rugby experience. It might not be in caps, but they have a lot of experience and knowledge. I hope they bring that to the fore.”

From Weir’s point of view, it is even more important that the hardy band of veterans step up. “The caps and the senior players, they are going to have to stand up and play a bigger part in the game,” he said.

“That is how we did well in the early 90s. They understood the game and had a good relationship with the coaches.

“I think experience matters more in a World Cup. You have got to have a combination of things. You have got to have the old boys to help the youngsters through, maybe take them out, away from the game.

“The old boys do that extremely well. We quite often did it with a social function, but they don’t do that any more and will have to find another way.”

For all that, they were both reasonably optimistic about Scotland’s chances of at least reaching the quarter-finals. “Scotland are maybe a bit stronger at the moment because of the calibre of Vern Cotter,” said Weir. “He has had the boys for eight, 10 weeks over the summer and, as an international coach, you don’t often get that.

“He has been able to look at the boys, get them to develop and we have seen the benefits.

“For me, a quarter- final would be a dream – remember, the last World Cup we did not qualify. That is a goal for me; let’s not say we can win the World Cup, let’s get to the quarter-final.

“Whoever we get there does not matter. We will take them on, try our best and that is all one can ask for.

“It would be disappointing to come home having not got there.”

Caledonia Best is the official beer of Scottish Rugby. For more, follow @caledoniabest on Twitter and on Facebook