The more things change … there is more than the whiff of a fresh breeze whistling through Dublin this weekend, however familiar the bite of wind on our faces at the Aviva Stadium, but no one should expect too great a deviance from the usual narrative when Ireland entertain Scotland.
Andy Farrell begins his tenure as Ireland head coach, stepping up one rung with the departure of Joe Schmidt after the latter’s reign of unparalleled success, touching the heights, albeit briefly, of the top of World Rugby’s ranking system. Some might argue that Ireland’s ongoing failure to solve the problem of a World Cup makes pressing the need for change, but history suggests these long-term projects involve lengthy acclimatisation to each and every level attained.
Written by Michael Aylwin
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/31/andy-farrell-ireland-six-nations-new-look-scotland-rugby-union under the title “Farrell’s Ireland hope to maintain Six Nations hold over new-look Scotland”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.