Bradbury stakes claim for back-row spot in France

Gregor Townsend was at Murrayfield on Friday night to watch Edinburgh’s surprisingly hard-fought 34-17 win over Dragons, and there is little doubt about who was the primary focus of the Scotland coach’s attention.

With Ryan Wilson the latest backrow player to be ruled out for the Six Nations, Magnus Bradbury’s return after four months out with a shoulder injury could not have been better timed.

Townsend will have liked what he saw. Not only did the bulked-up blindside flanker muscle his way over for the try which finally broke the visitors’ resolve just after the hour, but he was also named man of the match.

He delivered the sort of pugnacious, abrasive display that would come in handy in Paris on Saturday against Jacques Brunel’s behemoth pack.

Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill said all week that he believes Bradbury is ready to slot into the Scotland back row – presumably alongside No8 Josh Strauss and openside Jamie Ritchie.

Bradbury clearly fancies such an outcome. “I’d love to [play for Scotland in Paris] if I got the call,” he said.

While admitting that his first extended period on the sidelines has been a deeply frustrating experience, it has nevertheless afforded the 23-yearold flanker a chance to take a step back and work out where he needs to be physically.

Working daily with former Edinburgh and Scotland flanker Al Strokosch, who oversees strength and conditioning at Murrayfield, Bradbury has added half a stone to his 6ft 4in frame to weigh in at around 18st, without, he believes, sacrificing speed or endurance.

“It was four months of no rugby, so once my shoulder was right, I wanted to get as strong and as powerful as possible. I’ve come back a bit heavier, and I felt fit out there.”

Both Edinburgh and Bradbury gradually worked their way into the game, and after trailing 17-14 at half-time, they scored three tries in the final quarter for a bonus-point win that looks more comfortable on the scoreboard than it did at times on the pitch.

“It wasn’t just me. As a team, we grew in confidence,” Bradbury said.