Scotland v Ireland ‘needle’ is ‘more on the Irish side’, claims Gregor Townsend - Both teams won their opening fixture but the Scots have not beaten the Irish since 2017

The Scots have lost each of their last 10 meetings against the Irish in a run stretching back to February 2017.

Gregor Townsend says he does not view Scotland's Six Nations showdown with Ireland on Sunday as a "needle game", and insists ending a 10-match losing run to the Irish provides no extra motivation.

Ireland began their bid for a record third successive Six Nations title with a 27-22 win over England in Dublin, while Scotland demonstrated admirable resolve to beat Italy 31-19 in Edinburgh after the Azzurri drew level at 19-19.