Gregor Townsend has say on Scotland-Ireland needle: 'It’s more on the Irish side'

Gregor Townsend has tried to play down talk of tension between Scotland and Ireland ahead of this weekend’s meeting of the sides in the Guinness Six Nations Championship.

The fixture has developed into something of a grudge match in recent years but the Scotland coach insisted that any extra rivalry came from the Irish side and the Irish media.

Townsend said he had the utmost respect for the champions who will come to Murrayfield on Sunday looking to beat the Scots for the 11th time in a row. Such has been their domination of the fixture that you have to go back to the reign of Vern Cotter for Scotland’s last victory, in 2017.

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend says Ireland are favourites. | SNS Group

Ireland remain the one Six Nations team that Townsend has failed to beat in his seven-and-a-half year tenure as head coach but he denied there was extra “needle” whenever the sides met.

“I don’t think there is, well if there is it’s just the same as any other game,” said Townsend. “I think teams want to build up something to provide extra motivation so maybe it’s more on the Irish side or the Irish media side that there’s this rivalry or needle to give them extra motivation on why they want to win again.

“Obviously they’ve won this fixture a number of times but we see this as a game where we respect Ireland a lot, admire what they’ve done over the last few years but it doesn’t stand out as a needle game for us.”

Jack Dempsey will start for Scotland agains Ireland. | SNS Group

“Look, they’re a top side and they have been for a number of years, clearly favourites for this game and looking to win three Six Nations in a row, which would be unprecedented,” added Townsend. “So all credit to them, they’ve worked hard to be one of the top teams in the world and they’ve kept that going over the last couple of years.”

The Scotland coach has made three personnel changes to his starting side, bringing in Tom Jordan, Rory Sutherland and Jack Dempsey, as Stafford McDowall, Pierre Schoeman and Jamie Ritchie drop to the bench. Ireland have brought back Peter O’Mahony, who seems to relish this fixture, in place of Ryan Baird in the back row, while centre Robbie Henshaw replaces Garry Ringrose in the other personnel change.