A historic third Six Nations championship quest begins at home to England on Saturday, but well-placed optimism can't give way to complacency.
Ireland haven’t opened their campaign against England since 2019, a fixture that derailed their run into the World Cup in Japan that same year.
It’s difficult to know how England will turn up in this championship.
Despite not hitting their expected heights in the last few Six Nations championships, they can never be ruled out of winning the tournament.
They’ve had plenty of time to devise a plan that can put Ireland out of their comfort zone, and I’d expect a hugely physical and testing game from Steve Borthwick’s team.
Without ever getting a consistent run of form last year, England brought Ireland’s Grand Slam charge to a halt. The men in green were good enough to finish top of the pile, but it was England that really got to them. No doubt our near neighbours will be out to do it again this weekend.
Simon Easterby has a couple of selection debates, but for the most part it is a settled side that nearly picks itself.
With Tadgh Furlong ruled out, you’d expect Finlay Bealham to get a rare start with Thomas Clarkson coming onto the bench, which would be a big step up for the Leinster man.
The hooker position will be interesting.
Dan Sheehan is clearly Ireland’s best hooker, but with just 60 minutes of club rugby under his belt, and a very early return from his long-term knee injury, we might see his impact from the bench, with Rónan Kelleher getting the starting jersey.
Launching Sheehan from the bench could work two-fold; ease the 26-year-old’s return to Test rugby, while also providing an impact and a psychological edge for Ireland should they struggle in the opening half.
The back five positions in the pack can be reshaped in a couple of ways.
Easterby could spring some changes with someone like Cormac Izuchukwu or Ryan Baird coming into the mix. However, given that this is the opening fixture, you’d expect Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier and the world class Caelan Doris to remain in situ.
Baird, Peter O’Mahony and Jack Conan are likely to battle it out for two bench positions.
O’Mahony is in the twilight of his career, but he is a leader in this Irish team and his tactical strengths in the lineout may well be required. England’s setpiece is always strong and disruptive, so it should be a game suited for the Munster man.
Scrum-half has been a non-debate recently, despite Conor Murray's impressive performances of late, but the greatest scrutiny will form over the 10 jersey.
Jack Crowley is battle hardened and more experienced, but Sam Prendergast has shown that he’s not waiting around. There’s no doubt that this will be a heavily-debated selection throughout the tournament.
The backline does have options. Bundee Aki hasn’t been in his best form, but he’s still a physical presence on the tackle line and could be partnered by either Robbie Henshaw or Garry Ringrose. Leaving Ringrose out of the team seems wrong, yet Ireland have that option because of the strength in their centre positions.
Another uncertainty is whether Mack Hansen can hold off the challenge of Calvin Nash on the wing. James Lowe’s timely return will most likely keep him in situ, and despite Hugo Keenan’s lack of game time of late, he’s still Ireland’s preferred choice at full-back.
Jamie Osborne could be accommodated in three of those outside back positions, yet I’d expect him to take a utility spot on the bench, alongside Murray and whoever loses out in the out-half battle.
Since Prendergast has raced past the challenge of Ciaran Frawley, Osborne will cover the rest of the five positions for Ireland. Ringrose could also do that if not selected to start.
The Six Nations is a difficult tournament and a positive start is crucial to having a successful tournament. There will be some tight calls in selection, but expect any big changes to be kept for later rounds in the championship.
Ireland’s focus now will be to get the danger back in their attack and solve some of the problems they faced in the Autumn Nations Series.
We’ve seen ingenuity at key moments in the past from the reigning champions. Now is a crucial time to find something different as they head into the competition with high hopes and expectations.
Follow a live blog on Ireland v England in the Guinness Six Nations on Saturday from 4.45pm on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
