RYAN GRANT believes tomorrow's Test battle with Fiji will be one of the most intense encounters of his career.
The Warriors loosehead made his Scotland debut in the epic 9-6 tour triumph over Australia last week but expects the meeting with the South Sea Islanders to be an even more brutal encounter.
Scotland's preparations for the Churchill Park clash have been disrputed by a stomach bug while Grant's Warriors team-mate Jon Welsh has been sent home with a shoulder injury that has ensured the 26-year-old will make a second consecutive start.
It promises to be a tough clash as Scotland's last encounter in Fiji ended in a 51-26 defeat back in 1998. Grant says the Scots will have to be at their best if they are to build on the opening victory.
He said: "We know what happened the last time a Scotland team played in Fiji and so we are well warned.
"They are below us in the world rankings but if they beat us then that may not be the case for long. Against any South Sea Islanders you are going to be asked physical questions and I expect this to be as brutal an encounter as I have been involved in.
"Both Fiji then Samoa next Saturday will play with a tremendous amount of passion and pride given they are facing an established Test side on their soil and due to how infrequently it happens. That means they will put their bodies on the line and we will have to match them."
The fact that Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has made just two changes for the second leg of the three-Test tour of Australasia underlines just how positive a platform the win over the Aussies has established.
For his part, Grant is absolutely determined to build on the Scots' first victory in Oz in 30 years by doing a professional job on the Fijians.
He said: "The win against Australia is no good unless we can back it up. You look at how long ago it was when a Scotland side last won Down Under and I think that puts how important it was into perspective.
"It's a great result and everyone's on a high off the back of it, but we've still got two huge games to play starting with Fiji.
"We've done the hard work in beating Australia and if we don't win the next two Tests then it'll be for nothing and we just can't allow that to happen.
"On a personal note, I felt I did not too badly on my debut and again it is about kicking on from that and really trying to use the opportunity presented by back-to-back Tests to cement my place.
"People said my debut would fly by but I was amazed by how quickly it went. Now I have the opportunity to start a second game for Scotland, hopefully I can savour it a bit more."