Having prevented England from securing the Grand Slam on the last day of the 2017 championship, Ireland are hoping they do not suffer the same misfortune at Twickenham next weekend. "The shoe is on the other foot now after last year and I'm sure they'll be licking their lips," Sexton was quoted as saying by the Sunday Times newspaper. I'm sure it will be the exact same for England," Sexton said. "If you can't motivate yourself against England, then you're in trouble," Schmidt was quoted as saying in Ireland's Sunday Independent newspaper. "If you don't keep going forward in this championship, you end up going backwards."

Source: The Star March 11, 2018 14:15 UTC