The combination of the injury trauma and what he feels is shambolic organisation at Murrayfield forced Pountney to walk out of Monday’s international squad session and call time on his Test career.

Pountney told The Scotsman: “I was happy for them to take the testicle out just to get rid of the pain.

“But I am lucky it wasn’t the other one because that could have totally wrecked my life in terms of having a family. The future for (my wife) Ali and me would have been ruined.

“It has kind of put things in perspective and it might seem strange to some people that I’ve then come out and said I’m sick of the Scotland set-up, but it’s because of that perspective I’ve decided to finish.

“I’m slogging my guts out, prepared to take risks for Scotland and so are all the players involved with the Scotland and Scotland A squads. But people around us couldn’t care less.

“I’m still getting regular demands for £7.50 (€11.35) from the SRU, because I gave my Scotland tie to a young kid who was flying home to London with his dad after watching us lose to New Zealand.

“He and his dad were both in kilts and a bit upset that we’d lost, and I just felt it might help cheer him up. It did – but the SRU just don’t see that.

“When we beat South Africa in November we got back to the hotel to find a fax from the SRU stating clearly that there was to be no tab left for the players behind the bar.

“People might say ‘fair enough, players shouldn’t have a drink’. But this was the first time we’d beaten the Springboks in 33 years, and the guys just wanted to celebrate.

“We’d slogged hard, stuck to the task well and made history for Scottish rugby.

“Our manager Dougie Morgan was appalled as well and he offered all the guys a drink on him, which was a great gesture.

“That was all they wanted – a bit of praise for doing their best and winning.

“That was after some assistant coaches had been out drinking before the South Africa game in the nightclub across from the hotel.”

Pountney believes that experience is symptomatic of the way he and his team-mates are being treated.

“It all adds up. There is no water or food at squad sessions, after some of us have travelled from England and France to be there,” he added.

“There are no protein drinks, fights to get studs for your boots, being called in for detailed video analysis of your display against South Africa the day before you play Fiji, our wives and girlfriends being left on their own when they come to watch us in the Six Nations – when the blazered brigade have their wives on SRU accounts.

“I don’t want this to be a finger-pointing exercise. But when you’re expected to put your whole life and heart into playing for Scotland and others appear to be taking the mickey it’s hard to cope with.”

It all came to a head for Pountney this week.

“When I went to training on Monday and there was no water available for the players it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said.

“I told (coach) Ian (McGeechan) I’d had enough, and he knew there was nothing he could say to change my mind.”

In an official announcement to be made this morning, the 29-year-old will apologise to his Scotland team-mates and the supporters for making his decision less than three weeks from the start of the 2003 Six Nations championship.

He will continue to play club rugby but said: “I just couldn’t take it any more.

“Players work very, very hard to be the best they can be, to win for Scotland - but they get treated like second-class citizens by the SRU.

“Every week before an international is like a fight – a fight to get simple things like water after training, food, kit, studs, whatever.

“I know it is a difficult financial climate. But when opposition sides are worrying only about the game many Scotland players are involved in stupid squabbles until kick-off.”

Pountney, married without children, added: “The injury I’ve had might have resulted in me being unable to have a family.

“I don’t think it has, thankfully. But it has made me realise that stupid fighting when you’re already putting your body on the line in every game just isn’t worth it any more.”