'Bs' unit key to Scotland's hopes
Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:08
Kelly Brown hopes he and his fellow Glasgow back row forwards John Barclay and Johnnie Beattie can transfer their club form to the Test stage when Scotland face France in the Six Nations on Sunday.
Murrayfield's tournament opener will be the first time the Glasgow trio have started an international alongside one another.
And with the Warriors top of the Celtic League, Scotland coach Andy Robinson has selected nine Glasgow players in his starting line-up for what will be the former England boss's first Test in charge of his adopted country.
Glasgow's back row have become known to some of the club's supporters as the 'Killer Bs' on account of their surnames and the 27-year-old Brown said Wednesday: "The fans seem to like it but, as a unit on Sunday, we'll just try to get stuck into the French and do as well as we can."
Asked if familiarity at club level would boost Scotland's chances this weekend, Brown replied: "I think it's got to really because, obviously, we've played as a unit time and time and time again.
"We know each other's game and I would say that's only going to help.
"I actually used to share a flat with Johnnie Beattie, so we're very close."
Brown, however, would have missed out had pack leader Alasdair Strokosch not suffered an ankle injury.
Although he has won 30 caps, Brown had made a mere 11 starts - and the last of those was two years ago.
"It's great to be back in the starting team," he said. "I'm focusing on Sunday and I'm not thinking any further ahead than that.
"So it's just up to me to go out and show what I can do."
This season is set to be the last the 'Killer Bs' are all in action for Glasgow with Brown set to join English high-flyers Saracens at the end of the current campaign.
"I'm hoping it's going to push me on to become a better player," Brown, who played for Edinburgh before joining Glasgow four years ago, explained.
"It's purely a personal thing. It's basically just a different challenge going down there, trying to play in a different league.
"Also, I think Saracens are going well and there's an exciting squad being put together down there."
AFP
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