The Irish criticisms still on Sexton's mind from 12 months ago

Captain Johnny Sexton insists Ireland are on the right path - regardless of whether they end up as Guinness Six Nations champions. Victory over Scotland this weekend will guarantee the Triple Crown, but Irish dreams of topping the final standings are also reliant on England avoiding defeat to Grand Slam-chasing France in Paris.

Andy Farrell’s men kept themselves in title contention going into the final round with a stuttering 32-15 success away to Eddie Jones’ 14-man side. Three-time Six Nations winner Sexton now wants to improve on Saturday’s Twickenham showing as Ireland attempt to underline recent progress with a memorable end to the tournament.

“I remember talking to you guys [the media] twelve months ago or longer and things weren’t going great from a results point of view, but we were sticking in there and our confidence levels were the same as they are now,” said the 36-year-old. “We are confident in what we are doing and where we are going.

“Will silverware make that any better or worse? It might validate it a little bit, but I still think we are on the right path. We are not really thinking like that. We are thinking it’s a great opportunity for us and we need to keep building, keep improving every game we play. We showed some great things against England, but we hope we are a lot better this week.”

Ireland kick-off against the Scots in Dublin just over three hours earlier than England run out at Stade de France. Irish hopes of a Grand Slam were wiped out by a narrow 30-24 round-two defeat in the French capital, but they have sufficiently recovered from that setback to remain in hot pursuit of Fabien Galthie’s men.

Ireland have not clinched a Triple Crown - awarded for Six Nations victories over England, Scotland and Wales - on home soil since 2004. Sexton has urged his teammates to focus on matters within their power. “Once we lost that game to France, we set our targets on this [the Triple Crown] and it’s the only thing within our control,” he said. “If we can get a win then we are guaranteed a Triple Crown, obviously that would be a good thing. 

“And then we sit back and watch the end of it. We have to hold our end of the bargain up. We have to make sure we play really well. We have to perform on the big stage, which is where we are at. We want to perform for all of the people that come and watch us, so all of our focus is on the performance. If we do get it right and we do get a win then we have got a chance to lift some silverware in front of all of those people.”

Scotland travel across the Irish Sea having not won in Dublin for twelve years. Gregor Townsend’s side remain an inconsistent force but, given they have recently triumphed away to both France and England, Ireland veteran Sexton is taking nothing for granted. “We definitely won’t be underestimating them. They have had some big scalps away from home and they’re a team to be reckoned with.

“I know they have got no championship to play for, but that is when they can be at their most dangerous because they have got nothing to lose. They will want to finish as high up the table as possible but any time you play a game, whether it’s a November international or a summer international, a Six Nations game that doesn’t have something riding on, it’s very special. 

“You are still playing for your country, you are still representing a lot and we are preparing for their best performance and they have got some outstanding individuals.”