Caelan Doris believes his side will have their hands full in containing Scotland's co-captain Rory Darge around the breakdown, when the sides meet in the Guinness Six Nations this afternoon.
Glasgow Warriors flanker Darge was the influential forward on the pitch in his side’s 31-17 against Italy in Edinburgh last week, scoring the opening try of the game that sent them on their way to a bonus-point win.
The back row’s try came after he won a turnover in midfield, one of two he made in the game, while he was the most present Scottish player at both attacking and defensive breakdowns, as well as leading the team with 12 tackles.
"He [Darge] was a nuisance last week," Doris said at Ireland’s captain’s run yesterday.
"The number of turnovers he got from reefing the ball in the tackle, he’s been doing that for a number of years, always impressed with his footwork in the carry as well.
"We feel our breakdown can improve from the autumn, we’ve spoken about it quite a bit this week as well, with guys like him, [Zander] Fagerson, a few of them – we'll have to look after that."
Ireland, who are looking to win a third straight Six Nations championship, were forced into a late change yesterday when a hamstring issue for Mack Hansen saw him replaced by Calvin Nash on the right wing.
It amounts to three changes in the team from last week’s win against England, with Peter O’Mahony and Robbie Henshaw also restored to the side.
Interestingly, head coach Simon Easterby has opted to keep his three best substitutes from last week – Jack Crowley, Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan – on the bench.
And the Ireland captain believes that strength in depth offers an element of reassurance to the starters.
"Last week, I think it [the bench] was the point of difference," the Ireland captain added.
"The competition in training and within the squad in general is what elevates the standard overall, the guys coming off the bench made the difference last week and we’ll be hoping for the same tomorrow.
"The quality and energy - they took it up another level.
"It allows those who are starting to commit fully to whatever time we have on the pitch, knowing we have such a strong bench who are going to come on and finish, to not just add something to the game but bring it up a gear.
"It's a very strong bench, it's definitely going to be a full 80-minute performance. The last five, 10 minutes was disappointing last week. We've touched on that during the week, the importance of the bench contributing to that."
While the defending champions made a bonus-point start against England last week, they needed to rally after a frustrating first half where they allowed England move into a 10-5 lead.
And Doris says they have plenty of room to improve at Murrayfield.
"I think how the first half unfolded, I think we probably overplayed a little bit in our own half.
"I think we were stuck in a few exit-cycles a little bit, so potentially a bit more pragmatism there would be something we might be looking at.
"And then we had eight entries into the opposition in the 22 and didn't convert, so that's another area that there's obvious growth in.
"The breakdown is something that we always talk about and try and make that a strength too. We're trying to get back to our best there as well."
