In the six games Scotland played against Australia before John Barclay made his Test debut in 2007, the average margin of defeat — and the Scots lost every one of them — was just under 20 points. In the six they have played since, there have been three wins apiece and the average gap between the sides has been a fraction less than three points. The biggest margin was six points, so all the results could have been overcome by a converted try.

Barclay would never try to claim credit for that change, not least because he was involved in only four of those games. But credit is probably due all the same, for his record shows that he was on the winning side three