Kidney: Defences will determine result of tight game

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has highlighted Scotland's defence as a stumbling block to Ireland's quest for a fifth Triple Crown in seven years.

Kidney, who named an unchanged side for the Croke Park clash on Saturday, said: "When we were taking a look at it (their defence), we've conceded five tries this season and Scotland have only conceded six."

"Scotland are a very difficult side to break down especially when you consider that when they let in one of their six tries, they had two guys in the bin at the end of the Welsh match. And the one just before that they had one man in the bin."

Kidney believes discipline will play a major part in the outcome of the game because of this, since Ireland have conceded tries with men in the bin, namely the France game that smashed Irish hopes of a Grand Slam.

"It's going to be important to be well disciplined on Saturday as that could be the difference between winning and losing the game, because we are playing against a side where last year we only scored one try against them."

However, he did recognise that Ireland's defence has been very solid and said that this will have to continue against the Scots.