Schmidt and Lancaster in epic duel
Defending Six Nations champions Ireland might be the bookies' favourites against fellow unbeaten side England in Dublin on Sunday, but the hosts' coach Joe Schmidt is too canny to believe the odds accurately reflect the status of the two sides.
Not least is the paucity of tries his players have so far come up with in comparison to their forthcoming opponents.
Ireland have scored just two tries in their wins over Italy and France – both of those came when the Italians were down to 14 men – while the English have scored eight, including two against Wales.
However, Schmidt, whose side can equal the record for most successive wins of 10 by an Irish side which was ended by England in a winner takes all Grand Slam decider at the rickety old version of Lansdowne Road in March 2003 with a 46-6 hammering, is keen his players take their chances.
"I just hope our killer instinct and accuracy will be on song," said Schmidt, whose side have only conceded one try in their two matches.
"Their [England] performance against Wales is better than anything we have managed in our two games so far this campaign," added Schmidt, referring to England's come from behind 21-16 win over the Welsh in Cardiff.
While Ireland have seemingly got the measure of France – they have won their last two meetings following two draws – England have remained a blind spot having come out on top in their last three Six Nations matches.
Ireland flyhalf Jonathan Sexton believes England will arrive determined to roll over the Irish and move a step closer to a Grand Slam that has frustratingly eluded them the past three years.
"They [England] have won four out of five the last three years in a row," said Sexton.
"They probably don't have as much to show for it as they would like. We won the championship with four from five last year and they beat us so it is a strange one.
"It has been a while since we beat them. I don't think we've beaten them in four or five games if you include the World Cup warm-ups and stuff like that so it's a big one.
"They have obviously been very impressive against Wales."
His England counterpart Stuart Lancaster – who has dispelled doubts voiced early last November about the direction the team was going in by guiding his side to four successive test wins – thinks the Irish will be a lot harder to beat than the Welsh.
"Ireland are a quality team and we'll have to play consistently well for 80 minutes, not 60 or 70," said the 45-year-old, like Schmidt a former school teacher.
"This game last year we won 13-10 and had to defend for our lives at the end. It'll be the same again and will go right to the wire."
Both coaches are at pains to deny the winner of the match will go on to take the Grand Slam and the title – in Ireland's case it would be only their third Grand Slam and first time since 1949 they defended the title successfully.
"It's our next match but I have too much respect for two of my fellow Kiwis 'Gats' [Warren Gatland coach of Wales] and Vern [Vern Cotter coach of Scotland, who Schmidt assisted at top French side Clermont] to even think about that," said Schmidt.
Wales could still have a big say in the title race as having beaten the much-improved Scots they travel to France to take on a French team that looks fragile even if their embattled head coach Philippe Saint-Andre thinks it is not too far behind the likes of the Irish.
"We are not even contemplating defeat, quite the contrary," said a defiant Saint-Andre, who is bidding to at least get a top two finish after three mediocre previous Six Nations campaigns with the nadir bottom place in 2013.
The other game sees Scotland host Italy which should see the home side record a deserved first victory in the tournament for Cotter.
Agence France-Presse
