Following a sensational series of games in the autumn, there is every reason for Ireland fans to be feeling optimistic as the RBS 6 Nations kicks off this afternoon in Edinburgh.
Ireland’s historic victory over the All Blacks in Chicago, coupled with an equally impressive comeback victory over Australia really showcased the potential of Joe Schmidt’s side, especially with so many young players coming in to threaten the old guard for their place in the starting XV.
Yet this away trip to Scotland will certainly not be a re-run of the 40-10 thrashing that Ireland handed their hosts in 2015, which led to that historic points-difference championship win on a remarkable final day of the tournament.
Scotland will certainly remember those Irish celebrations, which were brought back out onto the Edinburgh pitch for the trophy presentation, and Vern Cotter’s side will be keen to exact revenge on their Celtic cousins in their campaign opener.
For this is certainly a Scotland side on the up and has been steadily improving since last year’s Six Nations, where they finished with victories over Italy and France.
Scottish club rugby has also seen signs of improvement as Glasgow currently sit in the Pro12 top four, while they have also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. And with nine of Scotland’s starting XV coming from the Glasgow ranks, coach Cotter will be looking to instil that club atmosphere and form into the national team.
And that improvement was certainly showcased at times in the November series as the Scots eased past Georgia before beating Argentina. Cotter’s side were then edged by the Aussies coming out the wrong side of a 23-22 result.
Huw Jones is tipped to be one of the stars of this year’s tournament, and the centre’s return from injury should prove most timely for the Scots following his scintillating display in that narrow defeat to Australia, which included two tries.
Of course, Ireland supporters can rightly argue that their side’s autumn harvest yielded a far higher return, after the wins over the All Blacks and Australia.
But the favourites tag does not normally sit too well with Irish sporting teams and while Joe Schmidt’s side should still be confident of possessing the most quality throughout the pitch, Ireland will need to return to the basic values of patience and discipline, which led to those southern hemisphere scalps.
Ireland’s penalty count was incredibly low in that victory over the All Blacks and that will surely be a tactic to deploy throughout this campaign, while the fighting spirit shown to drag themselves back into the game against Australia and then go on to win it shows the heart and belief in this current Ireland squad.
Johnny Sexton is obviously a big loss to the Ireland cause, but Paddy Jackson certainly deserves his place in the spotlight and will surely relish the opportunity to hold onto the jersey for the campaign ahead.
And should the game be decided by the boot of either kicker, there is very little to separate Ireland’s Jackson and Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw who will enjoy kicking duties for the home side.
Jackson proved the most successful goal-kicking international in 2016, amongst the top nations, and is currently on a run of 15 successful kicks.
Likewise, Laidlaw is also in phenomenal form with the boot, enjoying a 85 per cent success rate, compared to Jackson’s 87 per cent.
A fascinating battle also awaits in the forward line as both sides possess great ball-carrying options and Iain Henderson’s inclusion will certainly help Ireland on that front.
CJ Stander, likewise, should prove pivotal for this Ireland performance and if his form at club level can be replicated in the green jersey, the obligatory man of the match award might be winging its way to the number six once again.
And that’s just the opener of what should prove a remarkably day of rugby, as the Ireland match is promptly followed by the clash of Six Nations heavyweights England and France at Twickenham.
Of course, the English are another team showing true form, having enjoyed a flawless November, beating Australia, Argentina and South Africa, following on from their clean sweep over the Aussies Down Under last summer.
Schmidt would only go as far as saying that a top two finish was the aim for this year’s campaign, which shows that the Ireland coach has paid particular attention to that England form.
While this year’s tournament looks set to be one of the tightest in recent memory, with all six sides showing a modicum of form, including Conor O’Shea’s Italy, who beat South Africa in November, as well as bonus-point scenarios possibly affecting the outcome, there is every chance that it will all come down to St Patrick’s Day weekend in Dublin when Ireland take on the old enemy England.
And if Schmidt’s side do reside in that top two on the final day of action, perhaps then the Ireland coach will upgrade his ambitions to winning this year’s trophy.
Live Six Nations coverage of Scotland versus Ireland on RTÉ Two from 1.30pm on Saturday (KO 2.25pm) and live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport programme from 2pm.
