So if the Ireland scrum is that bad...

ALLEGEDLY, Ireland has no scrum. Every Six Nations pundit worth his salt is expounding on the deficiencies of the Irish front row. Nonetheless, many are still grudgingly tipping Ireland as the championship favourites, albeit with the caveat – if the scrum holds up.

The right result against the Italians today is not just expected, it is indeed demanded by the Irish public. The pressure is also on the team to produce a performance worthy of Grand Slam champions, something befitting our position on rugby’s raised plateau.

The area under initial scrutiny will be the first point of contact: the scrum. An abrasive confrontation against the Italians is always to be expected. Irish teams have always had huge respect for the intensity and physicality that the Azurri bring to every game. Dead legs and black eyes are the norm in these ferocious battles. This intensity is amplified in the front row. The scrum is king. This was highlighted in the autumn internationals where the Italians destroyed the All Black front row. Driven on by 80,000 fans in the San Siro, they forced an opposition sin binning of prop Tia Tialata and were inexplicably denied a penalty try.