BROWN JEWEL
Fraser set for big weekend with 50th cap and a baby on the way
FRaSeR BRoWn admits he’d all but written off hitting the half century landmark he’ll crash through against France.
The Scotland hooker will win his 50th cap on Sunday in a Six Nation clash against Les Bleus to complete a recovery from injury last summer he feared would force him into retirement.
It will be an occasion to cherish for the 30-year-old and his family with another celebration imminent as his wife is almost due to give birth.
He said: “You approach this game the same way but I’d be lying if I said if it wasn’t a big thing.
“Eight or nine years ago, I didn’t think I was going to get one so the fact I could get to 50 at the weekend is a big deal for me and my family.
“It’ll just be my parents and my wife but my wife’s due to give birth in six days, so maybe she’ll be there or maybe she won’t. It’s a fairly intense rugby family so it’s a nice thing for them to come and watch one of their sons playing at Murrayfield every now and then.
“Even as recently as last summer, I thought I might not be getting another game of pro rugby with my foot injury. So to come back from that, be fit and playing reasonably well and in contention, it’s a decent achievement.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to.
“It was a big injury. It took quite a while to come back from it in the summer and there were periods when myself and the medics maybe didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. But that’s all water under the bridge now.”
Scotland are aiming to build on a 17-0 win against Italy in their last outing but unbeaten France have their own Grand Slam ambitions.
Brown, though, is adamant head coach Gregor Townsend can up with a plan to demolish those hopes.
He said: “France will be feeling on form as they are playing well.
“Their defence has been going well and they’ve scored quite a number of tries early on.
“They try to start well and put teams under pressure so that is what I imagine they will do.
“They haven’t won here since 2014 so they’ll know it is not an easy place for them to win.
“If they get ahead with such an aggressive defence, they have the ability to sit back a bit and soak it up but with a big crowd behind us we have to start well and attack them.
“They will have the confidence to come here and do well.”