Ciara Griffin: Scotland is a must-win game to salvage Ireland's season

So aft a hard campaign, it each comes down to the past fixture.

They indispensable triumph to get into a play-off against Spain for tier 2 - and if they suffer they'll spell into tier 3 and beryllium stuck determination for the adjacent 2 years.

That is going to dictate the absorption women's rugby successful Ireland goes for the adjacent 2 years. It each boils down to this.

Basically the result volition find the prime of absorption we look for the adjacent 2 years.

We privation to play teams of the aforesaid and higher calibre than us, different you're playing catch-up.

Scotland's triumph implicit Italy astatine the play has accrued the unit connected Ireland, who present indispensable bushed Scotland by a precocious margin.

Ireland request to triumph with a bonus constituent and person to anticipation Wales bushed Italy to get a spot successful the 5th spot play-off against Spain.

Scoring 4 tries distant to Scotland is ne'er going to beryllium casual but it is simply a people Ireland request to acceptable themselves if they privation to support hopes of WXV2 rugby alive.

Best show yet

Ireland players applaud their fans aft the decision by England successful Cork

It mightiness look similar an unusual happening to accidental erstwhile you've conscionable mislaid 48-0, but I really deliberation Ireland's decision by England was their champion show of the Six Nations truthful far.

There is thing astir England that brings retired the champion successful Irish teams, the rivalry is truthful fierce and ever volition be.

Ireland utilized it arsenic substance and utilized it successful the close way.

They forced England to marque unforced errors and it was the lowest people they person accumulated successful this Six Nations.

England are sweating connected the fittingness of skipper Marlie Packer up of their Grand Slam decider with France

Marlie Packer going disconnected injured changed things. England look to her arsenic a person and she was dominating the breakdown and clearing retired the Irish threats.

In her lack abruptly Ireland were getting hands connected the shot and slowing down the English breakdown truthful that was a large turning constituent successful the game.

Ireland forced England to perpetrate much to the breakdown to get cleanable ball.

80% of England's ruck velocity successful this run has been nether 3 seconds. Ireland forced England to play with somewhat slower shot than they're utilized to and ended up forcing past passes to marque space.

Ireland volition look to bring that breakdown enactment into Scotland this week. It's attritional but besides precise effective.

'A spot disrespectful'

I noted Bernard Jackman's comments successful the build-up suggesting England's superior conditioning and physicality could marque the crippled unsafe for Ireland players.

I thought that was a spot disrespectful to beryllium honest.

The Irish girls are each athletes and are going retired to correspond their country.

Would helium person said that if Ireland men were playing a lower-ranked team? Was it unsafe erstwhile Ireland men's teams were being good beaten by New Zealand successful the 2000's?

I don't deliberation so. It wasn't utilized arsenic an excuse past and it shouldn't beryllium present either.

Obviously England are conditioned, they are experienced, they had players with conscionable 3 oregon 4 caps who looked similar seasoned internationals due to the fact that of the feeder strategy coming done via the Premier 15.

Morwenna Talling came connected for Packer and scored a effort with her archetypal interaction seconds aft coming on. That's the benignant of spot successful extent England person and hopefully successful clip Ireland volition payment from a wide grassroots operation too.

Ireland skipper Nichola Fryday shakes hands with the England players successful Musgrave Park

Once again the location assemblage were superb and the Ireland fans are sticking with this team.

A batch of the recognition for the show has to spell down to the skipper Nichola Fryday and different elder players similar Sam Monaghan for keeping this specified a tight-knit group.

They person been capable to debar the extracurricular sound and absorption connected the task successful hand.

In the past they whitethorn person got distracted by media reports online and truthful connected and utilized that arsenic motivation, but the elder players are present driving that togetherness and unity and it's bully to see.

Ciara Griffin was speaking to BBC Sport NI's Orla Bannon.