Kelly Brown insists Scotland must leave nothing to chance against Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.
Scotland flanker wary of Ireland threat
Kelly Brown insists Scotland must leave nothing to chance against Ireland on Saturday, and is convinced the hosts will be back to their best at Croke Park.
Scotland are on course for this campaign's wooden spoon award after losing their RBS Six Nations opening matches to France and Wales.
However, the Scots can take heart from Ireland's less than convincing 16-11 win over Italy at the start of the month, and by the way Eddie O'Sullivan's men were put to the sword by France in the first 50 minutes of their Stade de France clash.
Despite these below-par displays, Brown is well-aware that if the Irish are firing on all cylinders, they are a formidable outfit to play against.
"It's hard to say whether this is a good time to get Ireland," said Brown.
"Every team in this competition can be dangerous on their day, and that is certainly the case with them.
"They have a big set of forwards, a fast back row and their backs can be very dangerous when they are on fire - so we are expecting a thorough overall test."
Pressure
After defeats to France and Wales, under-pressure head coach Frank Hadden's side are in urgent need of a much-improved performance.
Brown admits the Scots will need to vary their play in an effort to get across the Ireland line for their first try of the campaign.
"We've got to mix it up a bit more because against Wales we were far too slow, all the time," said Brown.
"Sometimes that is the way you want the game to be, especially when you are away from home and they are putting a bit of pressure on you.
"But you also have to be fast at times as well - because that is when you catch the opposition off-guard.
"It is about mixing and matching at the right times."
