HIS regular employers at Huddersfield Giants may be less than delighted but a hobbling Danny Brough’s explanation of what he went through in order to be able to round off the biggest shock result in the history of international rugby league matches summed up what brought about Scotland’s 18-18 draw with New Zealand.
A three-match Four Nations campaign that has been described as the equivalent of the Scotland cricket team facing Australia, South Africa and India in successive One Day Internationals, was always going to have an attritional effect on the Scots in particular and the captain was one of several walking wounded.
However, Brough had been extremely emotional at the eve-of-match presentation when he received the match shirt he would wear as he matched former team-mate Andrew Henderson’s national cap record, and was utterly determined to take the field against the team ranked No 1 in the world.
His importance to his side was demonstrated in the play-making skill that created Scotland’s first try, but even more importantly in the way he calmly slotted the conversion of Ben Hellewell’s try that levelled the scores with 13 minutes remaining, the penalty that put them ahead a minute later and, after it looked as if the match had been taken away from them by two late Kiwi tries, the conversion of Euan Aitken’s last-ditch try.
“It was quite painful. I probably shouldn’t have played,” Brough said, smiling gleefully through his all-too-obvious discomfort.
“I had two injections before the game, two at half-time to try to take the pain away and I can’t put my heel down now on my right foot. But I tell you what, it was worth it for all that effort those boys put in.
“Not just the lads out there. There are three or four who didn’t get a game who have been class around the camp. They just stuck together and dug in with a never-say-die attitude. I thought we were pretty close to winning, then they got two late tries. To snatch a draw at the end is probably the proudest moment in my Scotland career.”
It was the first time the fourth team, in a competition owned by the Australian, English and New Zealand rugby league authorities, had avoided defeat in a Four Nations match and Scotland coach Steve McCormack said he hoped that what was the best result against New Zealand in either rugby code since their union counterparts drew with the All Blacks at Murrayfield in 1983 would have a lasting impact.”
He said: “I would have liked to have thought that in 2013 when we got through to the World Cup quarter-final it would have left more of a legacy.
“We’ve got people working hard on the ground. We’ve got a chairman and a board who are working hard. Hopefully, the country can see this is a team to be proud of.”
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