There are few former players more qualified to opine on back row matters than Sean O'Brien and he’s adamant about where Caelan Doris should play.
The current Ireland loose forward started the first two Guinness Six Nations at number 8 and was widely lauded for his outstanding performances against Wales and France.
The 24-year-old Leinster man was switched to 6 for the victory over Italy, with Jack Conan preferred at the back of the scrum.
O’Brien, who earned 61 international caps, including five for the Lions, played most of his career at openside, but was sporadically picked at number 8.
He retired in 2022 after a spell with London Irish and is now back at Leinster, where he won two Heineken Cups, as contact skills coach.
"I think 8 is his position, yeah," said O’Brien confidently. "I don’t think he is as effective as a 6. He is more comfortable and confident at 8.
"He knows the role and it gives him a bit more freedom. At 6 or 7 you’re either hanging out a bit at 6 or you’re not involved in the first few phases.
"Different roles but 8 is where Caelan plays his best rugby. He has been phenomenal, how he has evolved the whole way."
World Player of the Year Josh van der Flier (above) is a certain starter at openside and his resurgence and ability to keep adding to his game has impressed O’Brien, who helped Ireland to the 2015 championship under Joe Schmidt.
"The big thing with Josh is his running lines," explains the Carlow man.
"When he runs a line he runs it at a hundred miles an hour. The word we use for it is change-up at the line.
"That explosiveness and the speed and power he has a metre or two away from the line, if you can get power on when you are there or thereabouts then nine times out of ten you will make a half-break or make the second man tackle you and that’s the idea in that scenario.
"It’s the smartness and timing and acceleration of his running lines.
"Josh, obviously, everyone knows he isn’t the biggest person but he is belting onto the ball and technically he has worked very hard on that element of the game: punching through holes and finding that element of space."
Andy Farrell will name his side to take on Scotland on Friday afternoon with Doris widely expected to return to number 8.
A win in Murrayfield on Sunday would leave Ireland on the verge of a Grand Slam title, with England the visitors to Dublin six days later.
O’Brien believes not delivering a clean sweep would be disappointing for the team but, in a World Cup year, there are other things to be considered.
"I think they will be disappointed if they don't win it," said the 36-year-old, who was European player of the year in 2010/11.
"But I think deep down in the back of their heads they will know what lies ahead and how exciting that is.
"I kinda said at the start of tournament that I don't think anyone will go through it unbeaten.
"It's extremely tough next weekend. That's the first thing on the cards. The expectation on themselves is that they want to win it.
"They want to win everything they go into. With that, there's disappointment if it doesn't happen.
"But the development part of it, if you look at the bigger picture, they're in a great place.
"They're developing more players, they've a nice strong squad, they're playing a lovely brand of rugby.
"They have a few lads coming back in this weekend where if you looked at it last year and said you were missing those three boys, well you wouldn't really give Ireland as much of a chance, if at the start of the tournament you said you'd be missing Robbie [Henshaw] and Tadhg [Furlong] and these boys.
"That's why the squad depth is nice at the minute and there's more people to be bred in before World Cup time, so I think they're in a really good place.
"Deep down, the bigger picture is the World Cup. That's just my own opinion but, of course, they'll be disappointed if they don't win it."
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.
