“Those bonds between players have actually grown because of what we’ve been through”
FRASER BROWN on how he feels team bonds have become stronger during the period when players had no rugby to play.
Leadership has been thrust up on Fraser Brown and, at the grand old age of 31, the Scotland hooker feels ready to embrace the responsibility.
He is co-captain of Glasgow Warriors and will skip per his country for the first time tonight when the S cots kick off their autumn international programme against Georgia at BT Murrayfield.
It is, says Brown, “an enormously proud moment,” and one which seemed unlikely a few years ago.
Scotland coach Greg or Townsend described Brown’s appointment as “a great turnaround,” referring to the difficulties the player has had to overcome to reach this point.
In short, his na scent rugby career was almost derailed by serious shoulder and neck injuries which caused him to miss two years and saw him released by Edinburgh. There was a battle with depression which left him feeling isolated but he returned to pro rugby with Glasgow Warriors, established himself as a Scotland mainstay and will win his 51st cap this evening.
Brown admits these events have shaped him but prefers to look forward rather than back.
“Have I paused to reflect on where I’ve come from? No not really – that was a long time ago,” he says.
“A certain part of that was a previous part of my life which has been a big part in shaping who I am and how I see things now.
“Other more recent things like injuries, they are just part of rugby. I’m pretty laid back about how I view that part of my career.
“But obviously it has been a pretty big deal as it shapes me and how I see things, how I like to act around the squad and how I like to treat other people.
“My approach to how I see things functioning within a group of guys and how to try to get the best out of people, it helped shape that too. But in terms of looking back to where I was and where I am now, I don’t tend to do that very much, if I’m being honest.”
Brown’s appreciation of his circumstances have been enhanced by life in lockdown. He became a father in March and was able to spend quality time with baby Theo while rugby, like all sports, was suspended. It was a time to take stock.
“Things can change year to year and you perhaps don’t really notice them. Obviously being a new dad, but what’s happened in the last seven months with Covid - you can really appreciate the value of family time and the time I get to spend with my wife and my parents. Unfortunately I’ m not sure when I’ll get to see my brother and his family, because they’re in New Zealand.
“Your appreciation for what you do grows, and your love of rugby, and you miss the guys you probably spend most of your life with. You watch some of the rugby that’s gone on over the last couple of months, you see how much better guys seem to be connecting with each other, and I think that’s because of a renewed love of what they do and who they do it with. “Those bonds between players have actually grown because of what we’ve been through over the last couple of months.”
Brown captained Scotland at under-20 level but the player acknowledges that much water has passed under the bridge since then.
“I think a lot has changed in the 12 years since I was a 19-year-old guy playing for the Under-20s.
"Life happens and your
involvement changes in all sorts of ways.
“I think when you’re growing up and leading international age-group teams it’s quite easy to see that route, but then it’s another thing actually walking the path itself and getting to that finish line.”
He has reached that point now but why has it taken so long?
“Ask my coaches,” he says, laughing. “No, I don’t know. I think both Glasgow and Scotland have spoken extensively over the last number of years about how we see leadership developing within the squads and how it’s not one man’s role, it’s a group of us.
"You’ve got four or five different people who can all take on that role from minute to minute in a game depending on what happens, let alone week to week.
“We try our best to balance and share out the resp onsi - bilities, because it’s important for us to grow lots of different leaders, it’s important for guys to have a voice.”
It’s his voice which will be heard tonight as Scotland prepare to front up against a Georgian side who will bring plenty of physical attributes to Edinburgh.
John Dalziel, the Scotland forwards coach, said Georgia’s confrontational approach was “in their blood” and Brown expects a tough shift alongside his front-row colleagues Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson. They have a reputation for being big, powerful scrummagers, and they have that reputation because they are good at it,” said the hooker. “They look strong and dominate games through that forward pack.
“They have a lot of guys who play Top14 rugby and they play with a lot of power and excitement in the backline as well. It is going to be tough for us to meet that physicality and to try and get on top at set piece and impose our game on them. It is going to be difficult across the board.”
Scotland played Georgia home and away before last year’s Rugby World Cup, winning 44-10 in Tbilisi and 36-9 at Murrayfield. A similar margin of victor y tonight would satisfy the Scotland camp ahead of next week’s trip to Llanelli where a wounded Wales lie in wait in the final round of the delayed 2020 Six Nations.