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Hungry Brown dog deepens Deans' pool
Bret Harris | September 15, 2008
RICHARD Brown offered Australian rugby a glimpse of the future when he made a rousing Test debut against the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday night.
A member of the Wallabies squad since Robbie Deans took over as coach in June, Brown had been champing at the bit for a chance to play for Australia.
Sitting on the reserves bench, Brown finally got his opportunity when number eight Wycliff Palu left the field with a knee injury in the 34th minute.
Deans had the option of sending on experienced openside flanker Phil Waugh and moving George Smith to number eight, but he showed great faith in Brown to introduce him to Test rugby at that point in the game in a Tri-Nations decider.
Nicknamed Brown Dog, he was like a dog after a bone, wasting no time getting stuck into the All Blacks with his highly physical and enthusiastic style of play.
"I felt like getting amongst it was the best way to get into the game," Brown said yesterday.
"I was pretty pumped from the word go. During the whole experience I was pumping.
"When you are on the bench you expect to come on in the second half, but once I got out there and got my first few bumps I just got into the game.
"I expected Test footy to be hard and fast and it was. I was glad to get the game time, but I would have been happy with two minutes. I've always wanted to play against the All Blacks and I got my chance."
Brown got his first touch as he was cleaning up some untidy ball at the back of a scrum and New Zealand captain and openside flanker Richie McCaw was all over him.
"It was a bit of a blur," Brown said. "There was a scramble for the ball and I made the most of it.
"I had McCaw and the halfback on me. I knew I was in the game.
"When you are up against the best, that's how you measure yourself."
Most observers would have agreed that Brown measured up pretty well.
A strong ball-runner, he made ground every time he carried the ball and his aggressive defence was bruising.
Brown, 24, is in the vanguard of a group of young players Deans is planning to develop to enhance the Wallabies' depth.
"Brownie is a great example of what's possible," Deans said. "He is a bloke who has just toiled away, working at what's important to him and us, such that when the call came he thrived.
"And that's the opportunity we've got. We've already seen a number of players exposed to the game at this level for the first time and they've done well.
"It also shows the scope that is there. Some of them are players who haven't had a lot of access yet, but with that sort of outlook and preparation and work we can remove the element of chance that we are exposed to at the moment.
"It's always good to see players thrive and I hope there is a whole collection of players out there who aren't even here, who are thinking 'I'd love to be part of something like this'.
"That's what we need and that's what we have to build. We have to build that depth so that, whether it be injury or form, we don't lose our way.
"There's a group who have made a great start to that end."
After having a taste of Test rugby, Brown is hungry for more.
He is almost certain to receive more opportunities on the Wallabies' upcoming tour of Hong Kong and Europe, particularly as Palu is under a fitness cloud.
"If I get another chance, I'll grab it with both hands," Brown said. "I've never been on one of those tours. I'm looking forward to just being part of it.
"But I don't want to count my chickens before they're hatched."
Another factor in Brown's favour is his versatility, covering all three positions in the backrow.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015652,00.html
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