Scotland's rising star poised for sliding doors moment

By

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

We are inching towards a sliding doors moment in the life of Gregor Brown.

The day is surely fast approaching when Brown is no longer quizzed about being Blair Kinghorn's cousin and when the Scotland full-back is instead asked what it is like being related to the Glasgow forward.

It is not exactly clear which position Brown is going to play for Scotland in the Six Nations, or indeed, if he starts or is on the bench, but there is one certainty - he is going to be pivotal to the team's hopes.

The 24-year-old is only really 18 months into his time as a top-level player - a whirlwind of progress that he calls "insane" - but his impact has been enormous.

He has played Test matches with four, five, six and seven on his back. He has started against France at lock and against New Zealand and Argentina at blindside flanker.

He was Jonny Gray's understudy in the Six Nations last season and by the summer had played some minutes for the British and Irish Lions in Australia.

"If I went back 18 months and you told me that I would have done all this, I would have laughed at you. Like, no way. It's just been absolutely mental," he told the Scotland Rugby Podcast.

True, but Brown is a pivotal figure now for Townsend, a guy who gives the coach some questions to answer.

Townsend's natural inclination for their Six Nations Opener against Italy in Rome on Saturday might be a second row of Grant Gilchrist and Scott Cummings.

That would leave Brown either starting at six or, more likely, on the bench covering lock and blindside.

No matter how you slice it, Brown's power, energy, footwork and all-round skill-set is indispensable. The only puzzler is how best to deploy it.

The man himself only sees the positives, no matter which way Townsend goes.

"Obviously, everyone wants to start, but I think a big growth in rugby over the past few years has been that it's an 80-minute game and that the bench has such an important role to play," he added.

"I have spoken about South Africa leading the way in that sense. When you're a pack and it gets to 50, 60 minutes and you see six or seven fresh forwards come on, it's like, 'right, we've got to up it now'.

"Test match rugby is physical, it's fast. When you get to those last 15, 20 minutes, it's usually the crunch time. The game is usually still in the balance at that point and it will be the bench making that difference."

So he's cool as a finisher, for now, even though plenty believe he should be in the second row alongside Cummings with Max Williamson as the bench lock.

"I remember Franco talking about it. He was kind of joking but also being serious about how you have all your friends around to watch a rugby game and when it kicks off, people are getting a drink, snacks, going to the toilet," said Brown.

"But in that last 15, 20 minutes, everybody is sat glued to the TV and that's when the bench are on.

"This old-school mindset of secondary players coming on is just not what it is any more. Off the bench, you can bring more punch, more dynamism in the carries, tackles, things like that.

"Everyone wants to start, but at the same time, being involved in a Scotland team is one of the greatest honours you can have and I dreamed of it as a kid. I'm not going to kick my heels if I'm on the bench. Being involved is absolutely huge."

The strength of Scotland's bench is particularly relevant given how many times they have fallen away late in games, which was a bit of a theme in their camp last week.

Stacking the bench as much as he can makes sense. It will be fascinating to see what Townsend does when he names the team on Thursday to face Italy.

In Brown, he has a player who is growing up fast. His cameo with the Lions - the highlight of which was coming on for James Ryan in the battle against First Nations & Pasifika in Melbourne - has only helped the process.

It was brief, sure, but he made the most of it.

"I was only there for a few days but being in the same environment as some of the best players in the world was absolutely incredible," he said.

"I've got my jersey and I still look at it. I'm just like, 'wow!'

"What came out from a lot of the Scottish lads is that a lot of the stuff that we do is right up there. We're sometimes just that one step away. Let's go and take that next step."