"It would be good to get through this game with no injuries," the ACT Brumbies flanker says to himself. No busted shoulder, no snapped fibula, no more time under the knife.

"It's not a good way to think, but just with the bad luck I've had lately, it's how it is at the moment," Brown said.

But when the whistle blows for the Brumbies' Super Rugby Pacific clash with the NSW Waratahs at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night?

"I just forget about it and play how I play," Brown grinned.

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Which is brutal. Brown's ruthless nature at the breakdown is the reason Brumbies coach Dan McKellar called him into the starting side for the first time in almost 12 months.

The 25-year-old scored a try with his first touch in Super Rugby, was named man of the match in his run-on debut, and has one of the code's finest mullets - but physicality is what sets him apart.

He forced his way back into the Brumbies side off the bench last week, and has been drafted into the No. 7 jumper to face a Waratahs outfit which prides itself on winning the physical battle.

A night like this has been a long time coming for Brown, who played just five games last year before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the back end of Super Rugby AU and the entire Trans-Tasman competition.

"It was pretty frustrating at the start, having surgery and then a couple of months later it wasn't getting any better so I had to go in and get surgery again," Brown said.

"I was out for the whole season pretty much, I played the first five games. I was looking to come back towards the end but it got infected and I had to go underneath the knife again. It just sucked.

"I was pretty gutted, hey. I just wanted to get back out there and play again. I've had a bit of a bad run with injuries lately, and hearing that was pretty heartbreaking really."

It makes Brown's return to the starting side one to savour.

The shy breakdown jackal is something of a smiling assassin. Ask him to look mean when he poses for a photo and he struggles to wipe the smile off his face for more than a few seconds.

But once he crosses the white line at Canberra Stadium, the beast is unleashed.

"I love him because he is someone who doesn't say much throughout the week, he just goes about his business, but he does all his talking on the field," Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said.

"He probably actually talks the most on the field to be fair, and a lot of his talking comes from his actions and the way he delivers that. That's what I love about him, we definitely know what we're going to get from Jahrome.

"He's awesome, probably someone who hasn't really got much of an opportunity. We know what he is going to bring, and that's a physical presence around the field. He's strong over the ball, so that's what we're going to be looking for from him.

"They're [NSW] a dangerous side, a team who pride themselves on physicality, which is what we've seen over the past few games. We've got to make sure we front up in that area. It's a good rivalry. It's marked on the calendar. We know that compared to last year, the Tahs are very competitive now."

SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC ROUND THREE

Saturday: ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs at Canberra Stadium, 7.45pm. Tickets from Ticketek. Broadcast live on Stan Sport.

Brumbies squad: 1. James Slipper, 2. Folau Fainga'a, 3. Allan Alaalatoa (c), 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Nick Frost, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Jahrome Brown, 8. Pete Samu, 9. Ryan Lonergan, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Andy Muirhead, 12. Irae Simone, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Tom Wright, 15. Tom Banks. Reserves: 16. Billy Pollard, 17. Scott Sio, 18. Tom Ross, 19. Ed Kennedy, 20. Luke Reimer, 21. Nic White, 22. Chris Feauai-Sautia, 23. Jesse Mogg.

Waratahs squad: 1. Angus Bell, 2. David Porecki, 3. Harry Johnson-Holmes, 4. Jed Holloway, 5. Jeremy Williams, 6. Hugh Sinclair, 7. Charles Gamble, 8. Will Harris, 9. Jake Gordon, 10. Ben Donaldson, 11. James Turner, 12. Lalakai Foketi, 13. Izaia Perese, 14. Dylan Pietsch, 15. Alex Newsome. Reserves: 16. Tom Horton, 17. Te Tera, 18. Ruan Smith, 19. Max Douglas, 20. Langi Gleeson, 21. Carlo Tizzano, 22. Will Harrison, 23. Tevita Funa.

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