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3rd October 2023
03:34pm BST

"Our record against Scotland is really good over the last few years - I think we've won eight in a row. If you dive into the archives, you'll have to dive pretty deep to find the last time Johnny Sexton lost to any side. I don't think it has happened in the last 10 years, and I can't see that changing on Saturday."What is getting the Scottish goat - aside from that Madigan prediction - is that World Cup quarter final talk has already commenced, with many predicting Ireland vs. New Zealand and South Africa vs. France. "You can imagine what Scotland are saying," former Ireland centre Darren Cave reflected.
"I do think this fixture has developed a little bit of bite - more so, than ever, over the last five years. It's because we've seen a huge improvement in Scottish rugby, and in Irish rugby. Forget about the players for a second, with the fans, I do think the Scottish fans believe that Ireland don't really take them seriously. "As Irish fans, we're like, 'We recognise that Scotland are good but you rock up every year and we beat you'. I do think that has added some extra bite. There will probably be Scottish fans giving off about this, listening in, and that is what Gregor Townsend will be trying to do - paint this picture, 'Oh, everyone has picked the quarter finals, nobody rates you, nobody respects you'. "For Ireland, I'm not concerned about their tactical or defensive approach. We know that Finn Russell is key, but their defence is so good. They don't have to re-invent the wheel to beat them. It's just about getting the mind-set right."Cave believes that Ireland will make changes for the Scotland game but 'there won't be huge rotations'. The down week, after beating South Africa, freshens up the bodies and Scotland could also latch on to a team with anything more than three XV switches as another sign of disrespect. If there are changes, we could see Dan Sheehan start, Jack Conan come into the back row and possibly Robbie Henshaw and Finlay Bealham in from the get-go.
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