The 31-year-old Edinburgh second row, who qualifies for Scotland on residency grounds, made his Test debut during the tour in Argentina earlier this summer.

And now he is desperate to add to those caps by turning out against the country of his birth, especially in front of his rugby-mad dad who was unable to travel to South America.

"My parents have booked the flights and will be arriving to see the All Blacks Test in Edinburgh," said Mustchin. "Or, as my dad put it, 'we've kept our part of the deal now you keep yours by getting picked'."

The incentive to appear in a match which will see the Scots bid to end a run of 27 games without a win over the All Blacks is heightened further by the fact there could be something of a re-union on the pitch as well. "I've known (All Blacks flanker and captain] Richie McCaw from way back and we've kept in touch," he explained.

Sadly McCaw was ruled out of Saturday's Tri-Nations clash with Australia yesterday after failing to recover from an ankle injury but Mutschin went on: "Our friendship stems from Richie arriving at the Christchurch club when I was already in the side.

"Any time he's been over with the All Blacks and I've been around we've met up for dinner or a beer although things might be different this time.

"I've made a pact with Richie that I'll do my best to be on the opposition side come November 8 and to do that means ensuring I continue the form I felt I showed against Argentina back at Edinburgh."

Another spur could be the fact he is in the last year of his contract at Edinburgh, having spoken on arrival from Ulster three years ago about being keen to see out his career in the Capital.

"Even before things took off for me with the tour call and cap opportunities, I was speaking to (Edinburgh coach] Andy Robinson about contract matters.

"My wife Kim will also be consulted but, all things being equal, I'd like to repay Edinburgh for the security they provided when I signed my present two-year deal 12 months ago. At that stage there was a lot of turmoil surrounding the team so to get things tied up then was very reassuring.

"The talks will continue at some stage but more than ever I want to keep playing for Scotland and to do that I have to be a wee bit closer to Murrayfield."

One player Mustchin expects to see facing the haka is Ben Cairns who shared an international debut day with him in Rosario. Mustchin's Edinburgh colleague has just settled his future by putting pen to paper on a two-year extension.

"I think Cairnsy was destined to play for Scotland," he said. "Compared with when he came into the Edinburgh side a couple of years ago he has really matured.

"In the first Test in Argentina he probably didn't see the ball as much as he would have liked but a week later he made some really good space for himself to create gaps for those outside."

As a former New Zealand representative at under-16 and under-19 level, Mustchin has been keeping a particularly close eye on those next opponents for Scotland and warns that a defeat by South Africa last time out might produce a backlash.

"New Zealand are possibly in a bit of a transition and not as good as, say, 12 months ago," he continued. "But, hey, it's the All Blacks. If they leave out ten players they would be able to find another ten good ones to take over."

What the All Blacks matches in the current Tri-Nations series have been showing is how teams have been adapting to new laws being trialled. And, as a keen student of the game – he will sit his level two coaching badge before the end of this year – Mustchin appears ready to give a lead as Edinburgh prepare to operate with rules allowing, for example, no limit of players in a line-out.

"At the moment I'm trying to work out why the South Africans have shown a tendency to call a lot of short line-outs," he added. "As for speeding up the game it will be quicker, but not that much, especially with the home unions not replacing nearly all penalties with free kicks (as is happening in the Southern Hemisphere].

"I'm interested in that side of things but as far as club coaching is concerned I've handed over at Murrayfield Wanderers to Simon Cross on the basis that if he needs assistance I'm only a phone call away. I enjoyed my time at Wanderers but with a course in computer technology awaiting, a young family and other things, there are a few other things on my plate."

For a New Zealand-born Scot trying to stake a claim for a place in a Test against the All Blacks must rank as one of the highest of priorities, so who could blame him re-apportioning his time?