Expect a win — but it will be close

Six Nations: Scotland v Ireland

Battered and bruised by England a fortnight ago as a Grand Slam slipped from their grasp for another year, Declan Kidney’s men have recalibrated their objectives and set sights on winning their remaining three fixtures in a bid to win a first title since 2009.

That is not just positive thinking in the wake of a demoralising 12-6 defeat at home to the still-Slam-focused English, it is backed by a steely determination to put right the wrongs that let Stuart Lancaster’s inexperienced side upstage them in their own backyard.