Grant Gilchrist: 'History doesn't scare this Scottish team'

Gilchrist talked about not being afraid of emotion and allying it to a belief that they have what it takes to overcome the world’s top-ranked team.

Scotland's Grant Gilchrist during a press conference in Saint-Denis, France.

Some they lost by a street, others left them inches short. Ultimately, the entrails don’t really matter when it comes to recent meetings between Ireland and Scotland. Stand back to take in the wider body of work and one team has won eight on the spin.

Grant Gilchrist was there the day it all started, back in the spring of 2018 when Ireland won 28-8, and the second row will be a major player as Gregor Townsend’s side looks to undo their bogey side at Stade de France on Saturday night.

Not for him the need to look too deeply into the ins and outs of all those games. Did they deserve to win some? Did they leave a few behind? You would have to say they have a case there but none of it is of interest now. His eyes are fixed directly ahead.

“It is the reality, it's what we have to face. It doesn't matter what my perceptions are, the reality is we haven't been able to beat Ireland for a long time. That is the record which faces us,” Gilchrist said after their pre-match run in Saint-Denis.

“History doesn't scare this team. We want to go out and do things that we have struggled to do. That is the kind of challenge which gives you the really special moments in your career and that's what this team is striving to do.” Modern sport and psychology tells us that this is a time for cool heads and calculated minds and these things undoubtedly have their place. It’s also about emotions, channeling them in such a way as to fuel the fire rather than drain the spirit.

Gilchrist believes his side have what it takes to topple the world's number one team.

Gilchrist talked about not being afraid of that emotion and allying it to an absolute belief that they have what it takes to overcome the world’s top-ranked team and usurp them in the scramble for that place in the World Cup’s knockout rounds.

The suspicion is that, impressive and all as Scotland’s Tartan Army has been in following the team around Nice, Bordeaux and Lille until now, the Irish backing will conspire to make this something of a home game, just as it seemed to be when they faced the Springboks.

The Scots know at least that they have played some superb rugby in these parts before. It’s only two years since an 86th-minute Duhan van der Merwe try sealed a win for them against France in the north of the capital and that’s not the only source of inspiration.

“There are a few games, one of them was in this stadium when we beat France in 2021. The way we defended in that game, being a man down at the end and came back and went through multi-phases, that's the level of effort which we will require.

“Big games that we've had recently against England, away at Twickenham where we have had bad records, there are similarities there. This Irish team has gone and done things that this Scotland team hasn't done, we know that beating Ireland on a big stage is something that we have not done but that is what excites us.

“That’s why we need to go out and give our all for our country and for ourselves to get into the quarter-final final.”