Gregor Townsend has downplayed talk of Scotland winning their first Six Nations title, insisting the focus is on delivering a strong performance against Ireland in Dublin. Scotland are one of three teams in contention for the championship, but Townsend stressed the challenge of facing an Irish side with a formidable home record.
“It’s out of our hands really,” Townsend said. “We can only do a certain amount. It’s a game for us to play against an opponent that’s had the upper hand on us for years. We’re playing them away from home. They’ve got a brilliant record at home. It’s a challenge but a real opportunity for us to go and deliver an even better performance than we did last week.”
Scotland head into Super Saturday on a three-match winning streak, including a 50-40 victory over France. Townsend described that performance as “close to the best that we’ve seen from this group and from probably any Scotland team.” However, he expects a different test against Ireland, who have won the last 11 meetings between the sides.
Injuries have forced changes to Scotland’s pack, with Max Williamson and Grant Gilchrist starting in the second row, while Zander Fagerson returns at tighthead prop. Ireland have made four changes, with Dan Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, and Josh van der Flier returning to the forward pack, and Tommy O’Brien replacing Jacob Stockdale on the wing.
Meanwhile, Wales host Italy in Cardiff, seeking to avoid a third consecutive Six Nations whitewash. Head coach Steve Tandy emphasised performance over result, saying, “If we get the performance, the result will follow.” Italy were the last team to lose a Six Nations game to Wales in March 2023.
