Ireland should follow the template from their victory over Wales to hush the Murrayfield crowd, says Devin Toner.
Andy Farrell's unbeaten side are chasing a Grand Slam, while Scotland still have title ambitions following two wins from three games, ahead of Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash in Edinburgh (3pm, live on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio 1).
The visitors, ranked number one in the world, start as favourites to pick up their sixth competitive win in a row over the Scots, who last beat Ireland in 2017.
Gregor Townsend’s men were narrow losers against France in round three and will have the added motivation of winning a first Triple Crown since 1990.
In the midst of a crisis in Welsh rugby, and the return of Warren Gatland, Wales fans were in expectant mood prior to their meeting with Ireland on 4 February.
However, a blistering start by Ireland, who scored two tries in the opening eight minutes and led by 21 points after 21 minutes, kept the Welsh choirs quiet and paved the way for what was a comprehensive 34-10 win.
Asked how to negate the expected hostile Scottish crowd, Toner, the former Ireland lock who won three and lost two in Murrayfield, said: "It’s kind of personal. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, in your own head and dealing with the pressure.
"I suppose as a team, you can see [what happened] in Wales.
"If you get ahead early or if you start well, the first five or ten minutes, if you get an early try or something, that does kind of quieten down the crowd a little bit but again, it’s a hard thing to do, especially against a great team but it’s all individual mentality and how you are prepared for it.
"If you are well prepared as a team and everything is lined up, it’s a thing that you can weather well.
"It was always hard for me when you are calling lineouts and the crowd is so vocal. It’s very hard to call. How to negate it? Just try to start well and stick to the game plan."
Toner's former Ireland and Leinster team-mate Sean O’Brien was also present for the two most recent defeats to Scotland, in 2013 and 2017.
The 36-year-old is confident that the strength in depth of Farrell's panel is better and that any complacency that may have been an issue back then is not evident in the current set-up.
"They have a lot of squad depth now," he said. "It seems seamless when people come in and out.
"Back in 2013 and 2017, was that the case? Probably not.
"In terms of how much this group has grown in the last while, if you go back to 2013, there may have been complacency.
"But mentally now, this group of players is so strong.
"There’s a great coaching group there and they won’t allow that. The environment is great. The players know themselves how great Scotland have been playing.
"There’s not going to be any complacency against these boys. They know how dangerous Scotland can be, and at home as well, and how good they have been in this championship."
Watch live coverage of Scotland v Ireland (Sunday 3pm) on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app, or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
