Kelly Brown eager to put on showing in front of his home supporters

Published on Thursday 19 November 2009 23:02

KELLY Brown has welcomed the chance to return to his old Netherdale stomping ground tonight and believes that the desire to return to the full Scotland side will ensure a quality performance from the A team against Tonga.

Sporting a Billy Connolly-esque purple moustache as part of the players' support for Movember – a prostate cancer charity – and the Craig Hodgkinson Trust, the Glasgow and Scotland flanker said: "We're really looking forward to having a game in the Borders, where we know the atmosphere will be good.

"This is a massive chance for guys to go out and put in a good showing and put pressure on guys in the top side, which can only benefit us as individuals, the A team and Scottish rugby as a whole.

"It's also good for the Borders public to have a game of this standing being played down there. The last time I played at Netherdale was against the Ospreys in the Borders' last game before we folded, so it's a nicer occasion now going back.

"You get used as a pro to playing in all sorts of places and sort of switching off from where you are, but this has a feeling of going home as Netherdale is where I took my first steps as a professional rugby player and there will be a lot of people there I know and I know will be very supportive of the team."

Geoff Cross is another in the team who started his professional rugby career at the Reivers, and he admitted the fact that he grew up around five minutes' walk from the ground has added to the sense of occasion he will sense tonight.

"I am looking forward to playing against Tonga," said the prop. "I played against them before in the build-up to the 2007 World Cup and that was a fantastic, physical confrontation, so I know what's coming and I'm looking forward to it.

"There will be a selection from the six brothers and sisters, 20 nephews and nieces and various in-laws turning up – so I'm hoping for a good crowd!

"That (not being selected for Scotland] is water under the bridge and there's an opportunity now for me to showcase my abilities and the reasons why I should be selected against Argentina, in this game against Tonga. I'm looking forward to going home and playing at Netherdale and playing my next game where I started playing rugby."

Tonga are not able to call on many of their big names, but they are coached by the former All Blacks No8 Isitolo Maka and he has managed to prise the powerful Manu Ahotaeiloa from Toulouse for this tour.

The Tongans lost 48-19 to a formidable Ireland A in Belfast last Friday night, but they proved to be very competitive for the first 40 minutes and were behind just 21-14 after scoring twice against the hosts before the break.

They scored again late in the second half, but by that stage they had suffered with the loss of prop Mosese Moala to the sin-bin and they were a tiring side. Ahotaeiloa is one of the changes to the side to face Scotland A, the Toulouse player coming in on the wing, while the team have the Cork-based New Zealander Kurt Morath facing the Scots' new fly-half choice, Hugo Southwell.

Scotland A: J Thompson (Edinburgh); T Evans (Glasgow), B Cairns, J Houston (both Edinburgh), N Walker (Ospreys); H Southwell (Stade Francais), R Lawson (Gloucester, capt); J Welsh (Glasgow), S Lawson (Gloucester), G Cross, S MacLeod (both Edinburgh), R Gray, K Brown (both Glasgow), A MacDonald, A Hogg (both Edinburgh). Subs: A Kelly (Edinburgh), E Kalman (Glasgow), C Hamilton, R Grant, G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), C Gregor (Glasgow), M Robertson (Edinburgh).

Tonga: V Lilo; P Hola, S Hufanga, S Vaka, M Ahotaeiloa; K Morath, K Fangupo; P Taula, W Hafu, M Moala, P Hehea, E Kauhenga, S Filo, U Fono, S Vahafolau. Subs: S Vaiomounga, P Fakalelu, L Faaoso, O Fonua, M Fangupo, A Fatafehi, S Satui.