Gatland has resisted any temptation to repeat that experiment and is also mindful of Italy coming within a whisker of beating Ireland for the first time in this season's championship in Rome, with a late Ronan O'Gara drop-goal saving the visitors in a 13-11 win.
If Mr Brown succumbs to that temptation, he might pick up a few more votes at the general election due within the next two years but probably not enough to win.