Devil in the detail as Irish look to exceed expectations again

With the Irish and Welsh choirs in full voice for a World Cup qualifier at a sold-out Aviva Stadium, it’s safe to predict that Lansdowne Road is going to be a noisy place tonight. 

But don’t be surprised if the crowd is drowned out by the sound of drilling: That will be the home side engaging in the serious excavation work which is, one suspects, the least that will be required for them to dig out a result.

They say the table doesn’t lie but, ahead of kick off this evening, the Group D standings don’t tell the whole truth either.