Captain Kelly Brown thinks the scars of victory might have improved his good looks but it was the heart of his players that most impressed him in yesterday’s backs-to-the-wall RBS Six Nations win over Ireland.
The Scots edged Ireland 12-8 despite being pounded by the Irish for three-quarters of the game, a stalwart defensive effort led by the skipper and Grieg Laidlaw’s four penalties proving crucial as Ireland missed a host of scoring chances.
Brown suffered a broken nose for the second time in victory over Ireland as he did at Croke Park in 2010 but despite blood flowing as the game ended, he didn’t feel any pain, just pride.
“My nose had a full-on meeting with Rory Best’s head but he might have actually straightened it again,” said the Scottish skipper. “I didn’t feel it though, it was just great to hear the Scottish fans having something to cheer.
“We had a plan and we didn’t quite stick to it, but we’re really, really happy to get the win. Our skills maybe weren’t spot on but our work, our fight and our guts were so good, and I’m very proud of the boys,” said Brown.
Brown said that the team’s delight at victory wiould be tempered by the knowledge that they had enjoyed good fortune.
“We will always fight and scrap, and work very hard for it, and we got a little bit of luck,” he said.
“Scotland haven’t won back-to-back games in the Six Nations since 2001, so now we’ve done that we’ll enjoy it for the next day or so but we’re aware that it was by no means perfect.
“We know we need to improve because if we play like that against Wales (in two weeks’ time at Murrayfield), we won’t win that game.”
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