Head to head

March 19 2016, Dublin, Six Nations: Ireland 35 Scotland 25

“In a sense it’s a brilliant place to approach the game because we know each other so well,” he said.

“From a Glasgow point of view we’ve been on the wrong side of the results in those battles, so I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t mean anything because it does – there’s an added impetus, and there’s Scotland versus Ireland most weeks in the Pro12.

“It definitely adds a bit of spice because you know how the other team operates better. But I don’t think there’s any ill-feeling or anything like that. Certainly not from our point of view – we play the game and we play it really hard.”

And that includes measures to curb Murray’s influence.

“Murray has been playing really well this year, he’s one of the most in-form 9s in the world, and he has such a strong kicking game,” continued Brown. “Any team would look to pressurise their 9 and 10, and that’s what we’re going to do this weekend.

“We legally put a lot of pressure on him in that game and he was rattled, so we’ll be doing everything we can to make him uncomfortable again.

“There’s no malice, no ill-will or intent, we’re just playing the game of rugby. We maybe had one challenge there which was a little bit late, but that’s for the referee to look at but everything else was above board and onside of the law.”

Brown can’t get caught up in any mind games anyway, he says, as he has so many roles to perform, his set-piece and his presence about the park which probably got him the nod ahead of Ford.

“I don’t think there’s any more pressure on me,” he said of the selection.

“There’s no point focusing on anyone else whether it’s in your position or the opposition: you just go out and look to

Ireland: Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Simon Zebo; Paddy Jackson, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best, Tadhg Furlong; Iain Henderson, Devin Toner; CJ Stander, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: Niall Scannell, Cian Healy, Ultan Dillane, John Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Keiran Marmion, Ian Keatley, Tommy Bowe.