Tadhg Furlong says he expects Ireland to rise to the occasion when they take on Scotland in their Rugby World Cup Pool B decider in Paris on Saturday.
The pair clash at the Stade de France on Saturday night, with Ireland knowing a win or a draw would guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals as pool winners, while Scotland also need a win to stand a chance of sneaking through to the next round.
In certain scenarios, Ireland could lose and still advance to a last-eight meeting with one of France or New Zealand, but with their World Cup place on the line Furlong says there will be no lack of motivation.
"I think it brings the best out of rugby players," the Ireland tighthead says.
"It shows your mentality, it shows what you are about, it shows what the group is about. It shows a lot.
"The proof is always in the pudding in terms of how the match goes, and how you deal with the pressure. It's just about trying to get on.
"I think as a group, we are relatively experienced, and we have a good understanding of how we work and how the team works and how to get the most out of the team in these big games.
"We have played in big games before. So, now it’s just about trying to get your prep right and try to get your best performance out there."
Ireland are on a 16-game winning run, and have beaten Scotland in each of their last eight meetings, a statistic that only heightens the pressure and expectation.
And while other Irish sides in the past have struggled to deal with that weight, Furlong says this current side aren't burdened by the fear of failure.
"We don't set out to protect a winning run, or you’re not afraid of losing," he added.
"It’s not something we touch on at all. It’s just about starting each week at zero, and respecting the opposition, the prep we try to put into games to get ourselves right for the weekend.
"After that it’s up to the players on the pitch to perform, execute and try to play as good rugby as we can."
Ireland boast a formidable record in this fixture across the last decade, and were 22-7 winners when the pair met in the Six Nations in Murrayfield in March, but while just one of their last four meetings was a one-score game, they could have been a lot closer had Scotland been more clinical with their chances.
And the Ireland and Leinster tighthead says this week's opponents have improved hugely even since the Six Nations.
"We don't look into that a massive amount," he says of their dominance in this fixture.
"Of course you look at the last game; you probably don’t look at the seven before that.
"Rugby is ever changing and evolving, I think they’re flying at the minute. I was really impressed with their warm-up games against France, and have been really impressed with how they’ve performed in the tournament so far.
"I would imagine they’re disappointed with their South Africa performance. They’ve come on a lot since the Six Nations, and they had a really good Six Nations. I thought they were flying then as well. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us this weekend."
The 70-cap veteran endured a frustrating couple of seasons which were peppered with a lingering calf injury, but having had a pre-season free of any setbacks has been able to start each of Ireland's three World Cup pool games so far, and it's expected he'll be named in Andy Farrell's line-up when the head coach shows his hand this afternoon.
And Furlong believes believes there's still has plenty more to offer at this tournament.
"I'm only 30, you know. In terms of training load and all the GPS craic and all that, we’ve always been building up through.
"I haven’t – touch wood – had a setback or a niggle or anything like that. The body is feeling really good at the minute."
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