Donal Lenihan: This has now developed into a must-win game for Ireland

Donal Lenihan looks at three key areas in Ireland's Autumn Nations Cup third-place play-off with Scotland

Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris with the 20ft Christmas tree in Aviva Stadium launched in honour of St Francis Hospice and its Charity Christmas appeal ahead of Ireland’s Guinness Series finale against Scotland. This year, Aviva Ireland’s national charity partner, St Francis Hospice, is calling on the public to sponsor a light for €6 on its ‘Tree of Life’, in memory of a loved one or for somebody experiencing difficulty in their lives. Visit aviva.ie/tree-of-life for more information. Picture: Dan Sheridan

1. Back to basics

The debate has raged throughout this Autumn Nations Cup series as to the quality of rugby on offer with kicking the dominant feature as space to attack has become ever more difficult to find. Gregor Townsend is in his fourth season as Scotland head coach yet is still presiding over a team in evolution.