Ireland are set to host Scotland in their final match of this year’s Six Nations with the pair still holding out hope they can lift the trophy by the end of this Saturday night.
It is a game of huge significance, as whoever wins the match in Dublin will be crowned Triple Crown champions and move into pole position for the championship before France faces England in Paris.
On form it could be argued that Gregor Townsend’s men come into this fixture as favourites after their impressive victory over the French in Murrayfield, but history would paint a different story.
Ireland have not tasted defeat against the Scots since 2017 when the pair met in Murrayfield, while the Irish have never suffered a home loss at the new Aviva Stadium, with their last coming in 2010 when the match was played in Croke Park.
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Andy Farrell and his side will be aiming to channel this impressive home record against the Scots to their advantage in the knowledge that they can lift at least one piece of silverware today in what has been a challenging period for the team.
Former Ireland international Luke Fitzgerald believes that the challenge has been slightly harder following the loss of one key figure, James Ryan, in the build-up to today’s game.
Speaking on The Left Wing podcast, he said: “I think it’s [Ryan’s injury] a massive loss.
“If you looked at the two teams and say the kind of injuries, so the Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings injuries in Scotland in their second row, you would have said, 'Okay, well that's an area where Ireland have a definite advantage’.
“I think Ryan is kind of key for the team. He’s kind of like the glue guy, you know, gets through a load of rucks, is a brilliant tackler, and is so physical.
“I hear loads of people talking about Joe McCarthy's physicality, but Ryan is incredibly physical.
“He is a key guy for whatever team he plays in.
“I think Ireland have a pretty big advantage in that area... so, yeah, that's disappointing from an Irish perspective.”
Fitzgerald clearly believes Ireland could have had a significant advantage in this area of the pitch against Scotland with the British and Irish Lions, but he is confident that they can still perform with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne.
The only question that the former Ireland international had was the inclusion of Darragh Murray, who is set to make his Six Nations debut, as Fitzgerald questioned the potential approach by Farrell in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Fitzgerald rates Murray but believes he does not have the same power as Cormac Izuchukwu and Edwin Edogbo when carrying the ball, as he believes physicality is the way to beat Scotland with less of a focus on the ability to get around the pitch.
Topics: Rugby, Rugby Union
Brendan McGilligan