Brown scathing of Murrayfield pitch
ENGLAND full-back Mike Brown labelled Murrayfield unfit for international rugby after reviving hopes of a Six Nations title with victory over sorry Scotland on Saturday.
Brown and centre Luther Burrell proved England’s try-scorers for the second successive weekend as Stuart Lancaster’s team won the Calcutta Cup at a canter 20-0.
But the visitors’ hopes of adding further scores were not aided by a boggy pitch damaged by a parasite infection, which the Harlequins back believes is not good enough for Test level.
“It’s not really good enough to play an international game on that sort of turf,” he said. “This is elite sport and an international game can get ruined by a pitch like that.”
Bugs of another kind also hampered Brown on Saturday, as the 28-year-old battled through illness to help England bounce back from their narrow defeat to France in last week’s championship opener.
“I’ve had the shakes and you know when you’re ill you are sensitive to every little knock and the cold,” he said. “I dosed up on paracetamol and all the things you are allowed to take.”
England meet Ireland, who maintained their 100 per cent start with an emphatic 26-3 win over holders Wales on Saturday, next on 22 February.