Scott heard Scotland's starting XV to meet Argentina read out last week, minus his name. Seconds later disappointment turned to relief as he was listed among the replacements, a reaction that sums up what the new management want.
"Having played in the previous two games against the Barbarians and Romania it was quite hard to be left out, but Dougie Hall is a great player and Ross Ford is also an outstanding athlete so it took away the slight disappointment of being on the bench when I realised I might not have been in the squad," said Scott in The Herald.
"It was probably a very good reminder to get at this stage that it wasn't a given to be picked for the national side," said Scott
"Whereas I spent a fair bit of time last year understudying Gordon Bulloch that was the first time this season I've been on the bench," he said.
Back in the No.2 jersey in which he has only experienced victory for his country, he knows what is required against Samoa. "It was an immense occasion for me playing for Scotland at Murrayfield for the first time and we probably played better against Argentina than we did when winning the Test in Romania, but we were just desperate to get the win.
"So being selected is one thing, but winning is what we are all striving for."