In the build up to today’s game Ronan O’Gara, Brian O’Driscoll and Tomas O’Leary have spoken about that which is forbidden to mention in the Ireland camp: the Grand Slam.
The 2009 winners are adamant that the feat of a clean sweep should be a motivating factor ahead of the clash with Scotland (2.15pm) and not something to be ignored or feared by the players.
It's quite natural for the squad to have that in the back of their mind but you can bet your bottom dollar the boss has them well warned about entertaining such Grand ideas.
"In the end if you allow yourself to dream it's not productive time," was Joe Schmidt’s reply to queries about completing just a third Grand Slam, and a first in nine years.
Beating England in Twickenham is never easy and Ireland have lost their last four games against the Red Rose in London.
So talk of the Grand Slam can wait. Let’s see how many of Ireland’s indispensables are still standing (and have done what's expected of them) when Wayne Barnes blows for full-time before worrying about that.
Of course, the NatWest 6 Nations championship might be done and dusted by 7pm.
The table-toppers stand five points clear of England with two games remaining and Eddie Jones’s men, who face France in Paris (4.45pm), must match Ireland’s result to keep their chances live.
A bonus-point win for Ireland combined with anything less for England in Paris would result in a third Six Nations title for Schmidt in five years, not a bad return.
Scotland, of course, still have skin in the game themselves. Bouncing back from a trimming from Wales on opening day, their home wins over France and England mean that a first title since 1999 is on their minds.
They know that a shock win at the Aviva would leave them with a final-day clash away to Italy with five points up for grabs. They’d still be dependent on other results but they’ll arrive at Lansdowne Road with nothing to lose.
A massive game to kick off a massive weekend of #NatWest6Nations!
— NatWest 6 Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 9, 2018
Team news, preview and stats ahead of #IREvSCO in Dublin - https://t.co/r6uFLgBSlS pic.twitter.com/fNQrYgERoQ
But you have to go back to 1999 for the last time the Scots managed to record back-to-back wins over Ireland and just one of their last 10 trips to Dublin resulted in victory, a 23-20 victory at Croke Park in 2010.
An improving Scotland are always capable of a one-off shock and they’ve arguably already have two so far. Something would have to go catastrophically wrong for the hosts to allow the Scots to pull another upset out of the bag.
Ireland’s progression in the tournament has been steady if not always smooth but for 65 minutes against Wales, they hit their stride and the team’s potential transferred into points on the board, resulting in a haul that put them out of reach of Warren Gatland’s men when the late slide arrived.
But the secret to success against Gregor Townsend’s men is not that secret at all.
Ireland, who make two changes with Garry Ringrose coming in for the injured Chris Farrell, and Tadhg Furlong replacing Andrew Porter, must stick to the template that had them purring against the Welsh.
For that encounter, Ireland enjoyed 69% of possession that yielded 37 points.
If Scotland can’t get their hands on the ball then the chances of danger men Huw Jones, Sean Maitland and Stuart Hogg causing hassle will be severely curtailed.
Sure, they’ll have periods of dominance and are all dangerous counter attackers but if things work out for Schmidt there will be enough damage done down the other end to soak up a try or two.
While all the talk is about the Scottish backs and their capabilities, the head coach was dismissive of suggestions that they offer little else.
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"There is no doubt that the Scotland forward pack will challenge us," said the New Zealander.
But that’s a challenge that the Irish can meet head on.
However well Andrew Porter played for the last two games, Furlong’s return adds to the steel and experience of the side.
Considered less dynamic than Iain Henderson, Devin Toner can be relied upon at the set pieces and restarts like no other Irish lock, while Dan Leavy, starting his third game in a row (plus 44 minutes off the bench in Paris) is improving match by match.
The Irish halfbacks of Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton are on a different level that their counterparts Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell, and yes, outside that the Scots have plenty to offer but Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale are no slackers either.
The return of Ringrose to win his 12th cap means that Ireland have more creativity in midfield and while Farrell’s ability to put Ireland on the front foot paved the way for victory over Wales, the young Leinster centre, who has played just six games this season, is also adept that getting over the gain line, albeit in a different fashion.
Key to his influence will be how quickly he and Bundee Aki gel on their first outing together.
"We're hoping he can hit the ground running and get straight back into that form. He's a smart player," said Schmidt.
"It's a needs-must situation but it's a situation where we've got a lot of trust and faith in Garry."
Save for an injury to wing Tommy Seymour, who is replaced by one-cap Blair Kinghorne, Townsend names the same team that accounted for England.
The former Glasgow boss knows his side’s away form is atrocious. Take out trips to Italy and they have won a total of two away games since the Six Nations started in 2000.
"Dublin’s got to be up there with the toughest venues you can visit," said Townsend.
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"We’re all aware we’ve got a poor record…but some of these players have done very well away from home for Scotland - in recent times a win in Australia - and have done very well away from home with their clubs."
On the other side Schmidt has not lost a Six Nations game in Dublin since taking over as boss at the end of 2013 and his men are the leading try-scorers in this season’s tournament with 13.
There’s no good reason in the world why Ireland, on a ten-game winning streak, should stray from their game plan.
Staying patient, disciplined and building the scores will see the team over the line, and then we can start talking about a Grand Slam.
Ireland have to be wary of Scotland's running game - Read Fiona Steed's column here
Follow Ireland v Scotland on Saturday (KO 2.15pm) via the live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the News Now App, or listen live on RTÉ Radio 1, with commentary from Michael Corcoran and Donal Lenihan.
