Ireland prop Cian Healy has admitted that finding the emotional balance of playing a side like England is very important for the side.
The two sides will meet this weekend in what is being described as Ireland's most difficult game of the Six Nations. A win against England in London and a win against Scotland in Dublin will ensure that Ireland becomes the first team ever to win back-to-back Grand Slams.
The clash between the sides is always a tasty affair, and this weekend promises to be no different.
For many Irish players and fans, the emotive discourse between the countries transcends social, political, and sporting norms. In essence, this is the game that everyone looks forward to.
Healy, one of the older members of the Ireland squad, has claimed that Ireland will try their best to strike a balance between "emotion" and a "whopper display" on Saturday
"Having the bit between the teeth for getting a lot right is us at the moment," Healy said. "We'll try and put out a whopper performance."
"There is a balance in finding the right levels of emotion.If you don’t have it there, you are hiding from nothing because that’s what might bring edge to that physical contact or a stalemate in a scrum.
"If you have got that bit, that’s where it comes from. Certainly, it still has importance, but we’re certainly not 100% driven by it.
"We know what will work, but what makes it work is that fear of being beaten, that fear of losing. That’s really important to have and to not lose sight of because it makes you very beatable if you do.
"If you are always hunting and you’re always a little bit looking over your shoulder, there is a bit more about it, a bit more about what you do then."
🗣️ 'Ah, we'll talk about that after!' 😆
Cian Healy is not entertaining the idea of winning the Six Nations this weekend, in Twickenham. | ☘️
🎙️ @ashoreilly
Become a member now ➡️ https://t.co/zjoL9xndtL. pic.twitter.com/m4fVdnxyX3— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 6, 2024
Two years ago, Ireland beat England in Twickenham, but were dominated by the set piece. Scrum coach John Fogarty has claimed that he would not like to see the same scenes he saw at Twickenham at the same venue this coming Saturday.
Healy has claimed that Ireland's training preparation around the scrum has gone well, and due diligence will be paid to the English when the sides meet at 4.45 on Saturday.
"It’s just trying to plan our own week of practice and scrum sessions around how not to get caught offside or how to be ready for whatever threat comes and then also be able to impose our game, so they will have to deal with us, and it’s not us having to deal with them.
“Our scrum has gone well. We are happy with where it’s at. We are firing in really nicely, and the back-five have been unbelievably good in the tournament, giving weight to the front-row.
“We pay our due diligence to what the opposition is going to bring there, but you corner the market in what you’re good at, and I think that’s something we are good at at the moment, so we are working on ourselves.
“We are hunting performances, and how that plays out is the next game."
Ireland's team should be announced later today.
