WHEN Wales headed to Murrayfield in 2013 Sam Warburton, freed of captaincy duties while Ryan Jones led the side, produced one of his finest Test performances. The flanker hopes to repeat the trick when Alun Wyn Jones calls the shots against Scotland.

The Cardiff Blues back row forward has been in inspired form in the opening two rounds of the Six Nations, putting in the sort of displays that make him favourite to wear 7 on his back when the British and Lions take on New Zealand in the summer.

Warburton is, of course, currently playing at blindside flanker while Justin Tipuric starts on the openside and has provided the sort of dynamism needed at six with big collisions, strong carrying and the added bonus of breakdown threat.

When fully fit the 28-year-old is among the best flankers in the world but he also has a spring in his step from being freed from the burdens of captaincy to concentrate on his own game.

Warburton believes the early signs are that coach Rob Howley's plan has worked, but isn't resting on his laurels with Taulupe Faletau waiting in the wings.

"I have enjoyed playing the last couple of weeks and they have been better performances than 2016," he said. "From that point of view, it was definitely the right decision.

"Sometimes in hindsight you look back on these things and wonder if the right decision was made, but I definitely think it was.

"I have still got to try and back it up again this weekend to make sure I do that for the whole of the campaign.

"My target is to play as well as I can for every fixture I am involved in; two games is not going to be good enough for me.

"I have been satisfied with the way I have played individually so far and am looking forward to improving again in the next few weeks."

And being back among the ranks means that Warburton, who will join forces with Tipuric and Ross Moriarty, has the dread of missing out on the XV given that Faletau is their back up, while Wasps sensation Thomas Young can't even get a look in.

He said: "I genuinely wanted to not be captain because you needed to play not knowing you will be involved in the next round game; you need to have that fear of being unselected.

"That's what drives you every week. At the start of the campaign I was thinking it was going to be the toughest back row selection we have been involved with and it has justified that.

"It is so difficult. People are talking about the four who are in the 23 but you have still got James King, one of Ospreys' most consistent players, Olly Cracknell, who has been great this season, Thomas Young...

"You really do know that if you fall below that 90 per cent level of your ability then you will probably go down to the bench or not be selected at all."

Warburton's physical prowess will be to the fore this afternoon in a Wales pack that should have the edge against Scotland.

They are looking to extend their winning streak against the Scots to 10 games since their 2007 loss in Edinburgh under Gareth Jenkins and should do that if they reach anywhere near the levels that they hit in defeat to the English.

Wales are a better team than Scotland… but Ireland would have said the same on opening weekend.

Howley's men can ill afford to get too loose against a side featuring livewire runners in Stuart Hogg, Huw Jones, Tommy Seymour and Finn Russell; slowing things down is not a problem despite Wales' much publicised desire to expand their game.

And the management team will be under the spotlight – they have an excellent bench featuring world class Faletau, influential fit-again lock Luke Charteris, classy fly-half Sam Davies and powerhouse centre Jamie Roberts, but when do they use them?

Wales got their substitutions wrong in the 21-16 loss to England but will hope the challenge of closing out the game will be simpler against the Scots.

Every run has to come to an end at some stage – Ireland proved that against New Zealand in November – but injuries have taken some of Storm Doris' wind out of Scotland's sails.

Wales should have enough to ensure they are still playing for the title in their mouth-watering date with Ireland a week on Friday.

Scotland: S Hogg, T Visser, H Jones, A Dunbar, T Seymour, F Russell, A Price, G Reid, F Brown, Z Fagerson, R Gray, J Gray, J Barclay (captain), J Hardie, R Wilson. Replacements: A Dell, R Ford, S Berghan, T Swinson, H Watson, H Pyrgos, D Weir, M Bennett.

Wales: L Halfpenny, G North, J Davies, S Williams, L Williams, D Biggar, R Webb, R Evans, K Owens, T Francis, J Ball, A W Jones (captain), S Warburton, J Tipuric, R Moriarty. Replacements: S Baldwin, N Smith, S Lee, L Charteris, T Faletau, G Davies, S Davies, J Roberts.

Referee: J Lacey (Ireland)

Other fixtures: Ireland v France (today, kick-off 4.50pm), England v Italy (tomorrow, kick-off 3pm)