Ireland star expects them to deliver under weight of expectation against Scotland

Experienced Ireland front-row Tadhg Furlong believes they have proven they can thrive under big-game pressure as they seek to avoid a shock Rugby World Cup exit.

Ireland have been sitting pretty at the top of World Rugby’s official rankings for more than a year now and are currently on a 16-match winning streak at Test level.

Despite their excellent form, the Six Nations champions face a tricky assignment against Scotland in Saturday’s decisive Pool B clash in Paris which could see them departing the global showpiece before the quarter-finals.

A vital cog for Ireland

Furlong has been a vital cog for Ireland as they beat each of their major rivals under the guidance of head coach Andy Farrell and expects the team to once again deliver under pressure.

“I think it brings the best out of rugby players,” said the 30-year-old. “It shows your mentality, it shows what you are about, it shows what the group is about. It shows a lot.

“The proof is always in the pudding in terms of how the match goes, and how you deal with the pressure. It’s just about trying to get on.

“I think as a group, we are relatively experienced and we have a good understanding of how we work and how the team works and how to get the most out of the team in these big games.

“We have played in big games before. Now it’s just about trying to get your prep right and try to get your best performance out there.

“It’s (about) not being afraid of it, it’s about embracing it and getting on with it.”

Farrell is set to name his team for the Stade de France clash on Thursday afternoon and is likely to make few, if any, changes after the men from the Emerald Isle sealed a 13-8 triumph over South Africa on September 23.

A win or draw will be enough for Ireland to advance to the quarter-finals as group winners ahead of the Springboks.

But a Scotland triumph side could see them snatch progression at the expense of their rivals, depending on the margin of victory and bonus points obtained.

Ireland have dominated recent meetings between these teams, winning eight in a row and 12 of the last 13 across the last decade, including March’s 22-7 Six Nations triumph at Murrayfield.

Furlong believes the Scots represent a “huge challenge” and a much tougher proposition than that match just under seven months ago when Farrell’s charges overcame a host of injury setbacks to keep themselves on course for the Grand Slam.

Wary of Scotland

“Of course you look at the last game, you probably don’t look at the seven before that,” he added.

“Rugby is ever changing and evolving. They’re flying at the minute. I was really impressed with their warm-up games against France and have been really impressed with how they’ve performed in the tournament so far.

“I would imagine they’re disappointed with their South Africa performance (an 18-3 loss).

“They’ve come on a lot since the Six Nations, and they had a really good Six Nations.

“They were flying then as well. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us this weekend.”

READ MORE: ‘There is a lot on the line’ – Ireland gear up for decisive Pool B clash with Scotland