Skinner ended up watching the 2019 tournament on his own in the Exeter Chiefs team room after an injury in a Scotland warm-up game ruled him out. The forward, who joined Edinburgh from the Devon club last summer, is now keeping everything crossed that he stays fit and in favour for the autumn. “Of course it’s a dream to go to a World Cup, especially for Scotland,” said the 25-times capped lock. “It’s a massive dream of mine and I’m going to put my best foot forward. All I can do is control what I can. If something blind-sides me like that, then it happens and it’s life, isn’t it? Worst things have happened to people. It wasn’t ideal last time round but that is just professional sport sometimes. Hopefully I’ll just keep my head down, work hard and find myself with a plane ticket to France.”

It was against France four years ago that Skinner’s hopes of playing in the 2019 World Cup were ended. He suffered a hamstring injury during the 17-14 win over the French, less than a month before the tournament was due to begin, consigning him to a watching brief back in Exeter. “I remember sitting in one of the Chiefs’ dining areas because I was in rehab at the time while everyone else was out training. I was watching us play Samoa. I remember Sean Maitland scoring a try from a cross-kick. I was just sat there in this silent room watching it by myself, desperate for us to get four tries because we had lost to Ireland first up and basically had to win every game from there on. I remember very well being sat by myself watching this World Cup go ahead without me. But that is all just part of it.”

Sam Skinner has no regrets over Edinburgh move as World Cup dream moves closer after agony of 2019