Time for Ireland to turn pressure into points

If Ireland are to salvage something tangible from this season’s Six Nations championship, then Twickenham is the place to do it.

Next weekend’s sequence of games will go a long way towards deciding the destination of honours with two pivotal games, one in Cardiff on Friday night where Wales and France meet, and the other in London when Eddie Jones and Joe Schmidt go head to head for the first time.

Sadly, once again, it appears the meeting of Italy and Scotland in Rome will decide the destination of the wooden spoon, even if both sides have enjoyed spectacular moments over the opening two weekends of championship action without having anything to show for their valiant efforts.