In the last couple of seasons, Garry Ringrose has earned a reputation as one of the best defensive readers in the game.
The Leinster centre's stats book at the end of most games tend to show up multiple missed tackles, but to take those numbers at face value would be to miss the point entirely.
For both , Ringrose is given licence to shoot up in the defensive line and force pressure, and a look back through the tape in most games shows that an missed tackle for him often leads to a dominant tackle for someone else.
The tricky part is knowing when to hold position and when to charge up, and it takes a lot of study in advance.
"It's probably understanding what the philosophy of the team is and what they're trying to achieve," he says, when asked about the art of making those defensive reads.
"But then on the day it's reading body language, reading triggers across the whole back line and then ultimately where the ball is in the half-backs, you're trying to figure out what they're trying to achieve."
That's easier said than done against Scotland and Finn Russell this Sunday, with the Racing 92 out-half one of the most exciting and unpredictable 10s in the game. It's often been said his teammates don't know what he'll do next, and if that's the case, then how can the opposition read it?
"I mean, he's an exceptional player, week-in, week-out he does things that not many in world rugby can do so he's the kicking threat, he's the passing threat which means you've got to be alive out wide but if you're too wide, he takes on the line, and pumps at the line and fishes out defenders, as well as getting offloads away.
"So defensively it's all hands on deck against someone like him because he's so good."
The unpredictability of Russell has opened doors right throughout this Six Nations. The Scottish backline have contributed 10 of their side's 12 tries, with Russell scoring one and directly assisting four others, while outside centre Huw Jones, and wings Kyle Steyn and Duhan van der Merwe soring seven between them.
The speed at which Russell moves the ball has been crucial to the width Scotland are getting on their attack. Through three games, the Scottish 10 is averaging the longest average pass distance (9.6m) and the fastest pass (22.3 mph) of any other out-half.
"The Scottish are unbelievably good at playing to space," Ringrose added.
"Obviously they have half-backs that control the game unbelievably well and the outside backs they get the ball to space and are unbelievably dangerous. In the Six Nations they've been brilliant at it and against the top teams in the world in November as well.
"In terms of a defensive challenge, it’s the same if not a level up again in Murrayfield to try to be right and stop it.
"I'd have a huge amount of respect for them. The personnel they have are exceptional players and then how they do play and how they are playing at the moment you can see how much trouble it’s causing teams in attack so I think it’s part of their identity, to attack as well as they are.
"In terms of respecting them, players don’t pay any attention to rankings or 'top teams’ because we all know the top 10 or 15 teams in the world can all beat each other so, in terms of the challenge of going to Murrayfield – I’ve gone there and lost and I’ve gone there and won – and you know when you go there it’s a proper test match and to win you have to be at your best."
Ringrose returns to the Ireland lineup this Sunday, having missed the win against Italy due to a calf injury.
It's a second shot at a 50th cap for the 28-year-old, who was a late withdrawal from the team in Rome, and he says it will be a proud moment to bring up his half-century of Test appearances.
"It would mean a huge amount. It's one of those things, I'd love to thank people individually because there's a hell of a lot of them that have helped me get this far.
"So yeah, it would be unbelievably special to get that chance and you want to do them right or do them proud."
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