Murrayfield mystery can be solved

Six Nations Championships: Johnny Watterson talks to Conor O'Shea, Donal Lenihan and Brendan Mullin about their experience of playing Scotland at Murrayfield

"I don't think it matters a whit what other people outside the team are saying," says Conor O'Shea.

The former Irish full back knows about Murrayfield. He has never won a Five or Six Nations match in the Scottish capital.

While a lot is expected of Ireland on Sunday, it also seems, before the breath praising the condition of the team has even cooled, people are reminding them they haven't won there for 18 years. But O'Shea doesn't believe that record is a major concern for coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

"The pressure on players is built up inside the team not from outside. For international rugby it is immense anyway. The more valid pressure is that if we lose this match to Scotland, the championship is gone. That's the biggest factor. The game against Scotland sets up the season wherever it is played, Murrayfield or Lansdowne Road."

O'Shea is director of rugby at London Irish. His knowledge is broad and he looks at this Ireland team in much the same way as former Ireland and Lions players Brendan Mullin and Donal Lenihan. Here is a team with bristling talent, experience and a European run that is the envy of the other Six Nations sides.

"I think the Munster and Leinster games in Europe are hugely important," says Lenihan, who was in the second row with Willie Anderson when Ireland last won at Murrayfield, 18-15, in 1985.

"Even when behind both teams have shown they have the mental ability to come back. They have been consistently exposed to pressure in Europe and the core of the Irish team should cope with that sort of situation.

"But I don't see the game as a forgone conclusion, although, I cannot remember an Irish team that is better prepared. If it is tight with 15 or 20 minutes to go I think Ireland will win it. The Scottish pack did perform in the autumn and beat South Africa. They will be as formidable as ever.

"There are four Lions in that pack. The difference is Scotland don't have the finishing backs Ireland have. Ireland performed well in appalling conditions before Christmas and I think their potential has yet to be seen."

Mullin shared the centre position with Michael Kiernan that same day in 1985 and outside him Ulster winger Trevor Ringland went over for two tries. It was Ireland's first match of the championship and they had come off a 16-9 defeat in November at Lansdowne Road by the touring Australians. Mullin subsequently played three times in Edinburgh, losing each time.

"My recollection is that instead of starting with England at Lansdowne Road in the '85 match, we went to Murrayfield with no hang-ups. Trevor got more passes that day than he did in the previous two seasons and that was the start of the Triple Crown process," says Mullin.

"As a generic thing, whenever I came off the field against Scotland I'd wonder why we got beaten. I always felt we'd a good chance of winning then came off the field trying to figure how we lost. They didn't appear to clean us in the lineout or clean us out in the scrum and they didn't have that much savvy in back-line moves and they won it.

"To survive against England and France Scotland had to play a particular way - low body angles in the ruck and clear people out, with Craig Chalmers kicking the ball in the air. Telfer (Jim) recognised that style worked against stronger sides. But I think the history is irrelevant. I think Ireland will win. They are a good team playing well and they've demonstrated that they can think on the pitch."

The challenge presented to Ireland is a chance to deliver on the back of beating World Champions Australia. It hasn't been enough for 10 successive attempts at Murrayfield and many of those times the teams would have felt the sting of under-achievement.

"You look at it and say this Irish team is too good to lose," says O'Shea. "It doesn't work that way. Scotland will raise their game with a lot of quick rucks and Townsend giving them flair.

"It's on the field, not on paper where it counts."

Murrayfield woe: Ireland's record since 1985

1985

Scotland 15 ... Ireland 18

1987

Scotland 16 ... Ireland 12

1989

Scotland 37 ... Ireland 21

1991

Scotland 28 ... Ireland 25

1991 (WC)

Scotland 24 ... Ireland 15

1993

Scotland 15 ... Ireland 3

1995

Scotland 26 ... Ireland 13

1997

Scotland 38 ... Ireland 10

1999

Scotland 30 ... Ireland 13

2001

Scotland 32 ... Ireland 10