THE NSW Waratahs reject out to prove a point against his old state tomorrow night is also honouring the life of his late brother with every minute he plays this season.
Shaggy-haired flanker Beau Robinson will play a key role for Queensland in Sydney when his busy, buzz-saw style is aimed at the sky blue jerseys he once wore.
While Sydney rugby circles were humming with word that Robinson would today be picked to start for the Reds, it still appears more likely he will stay in his role as second-half marauder off the bench behind starter Ed Quirk.
He is the closest thing that the Reds have to the on-ball threat of Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh, whose aim will be to slow the ball supply lines as Western Force ace David Pocock did last Sunday.
Either way, the flanker who was pouring beers as a barman yesterday at Goodna's Irish Heart Hotel is ready to perform.
"There is a fair bit of hype around any local derby but I just feel blessed to be getting a chance again at this level of footy," Robinson, 24, said.
"I came up to Queensland with no guarantees. My club Souths was great in finding me somewhere to live and a part-time job pulling beers so I could give it a shot."
His 19 minutes off the bench last weekend registered the first game of five he must play to advance from simply match fees to a full Super Rugby contract.
He filled in for the injured Waugh with NSW in 2007, tag-teamed with him in 2008 and trained with the squad in 2009, but the Waratahs had no longer-term plans.
Robinson knows all that Waugh puts in and the intensity that the Reds have to find for the overall pack battle.
"I was a young pup in the NSW squad back then. Phil is a real competitor and just consistent with all the little things he pays attention to," he said.
"I don't look at this match too much as a rivalry or just one person. It's pack against pack."
Robinson was devastated a year ago when his younger brother Dan, a promising young halfback with Super Rugby dreams of his own, was electrocuted in London when crossing train lines after a night out.
The brothers were to have linked up in Europe where Beau was playing in Italy.
Robinson now carries a tattoo of his brother into every metre he makes on the field.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie had no urge to reveal his team early and was happy to keep NSW guessing until today's announcement. "There are no secret plans but we have strong thoughts on how we are going to play this," he said.
