Ireland welcome Scotland to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening knowing a win will give them at least a chance of sealing the Six Nations title.
Andy Farrell’s side trail France by two points going into the final game, with France set to host England in Paris immediately afterwards.
Ireland were beaten 30-24 by a powerful French side at Stade De France as, despite a second-half fightback, they came up just short.
A bonus-point win over England in Dublin last week leaves Ireland with a chance of success, though they will need a favour from an off-form England side in Paris.
James Lowe, Hugo Keenan, Jack Conan and Finlay Bealham all crossed the line as Ireland ran away from England in the final stages.
Scotland’s heavy defeat at home to France in round three put them out of contention for the title but they could still finish third if they better England’s result.
Coach Farrell has made three changes from the England win with Iain Henderson, Jack Conan and Mack Hansen in for James Ryan, Peter O’Mahony and Andrew Conway.
What date is the match?
Saturday, March 19, 2022.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is 4.45pm.
Where is the match?
Aviva Stadium, Dublin 4.
Who is the referee?
The referee is Wayne Barnes of England.
Are there tickets available?
Tickets are sold out.
Where can I watch it?
The game will be broadcast live on Virgin Media One.
Can I stream it online?
It is available on the Virgin Media Player.
Who are they key players to watch?
For Ireland, Mack Hansen made a big impression with a man-of-the-match performance on his debut against Wales and a try in the defeat in France.
With Scotland’s style being to play loose with the ball, there could be space for Ireland’s back three to exploit and Hansen can underline his rising potential.
For Scotland, so much has often lain on the shoulders of Finn Russell , the mercurial Racing 92 out half whose risk-taking attitude mirrors his coach Gregor Townsend.
Townsend has opted to switch things up this time and start Blair Kinghorn , with Russell dropping to the bench, and the utility back will provide a dimension of the unknown.
Quotes Corner:
Farrell said: “We’ve put ourselves in a position to [win a Triple Crown], which is nice but, as you would expect me to say, it’s just about this game, about our preparation.
“We’re under no illusions that Scotland are going to be at their best, nothing to lose, a great side coming to the Aviva trying to spoil a little bit of a party.
“This is a proper Test match that means an awful lot to everyone in this group, so there’s a responsibility to this group to perform to the highest level.”
Townsend said: "[Blair has] come on twice off the bench and shown what he can do in that [Scotland] jersey.
“He started against Tonga and played really well and he's built on that performance so we believe this is the right time, the right game for him to play in."
Betting:
Ireland 1/10; Draw 40/1; Scotland 6/1.
