The perfect moment for Scots to show their time has come

IF YOU get the timing right, in any sport, then anything is possible. Learning how to capitalise on those perfect alignments of opportunity and form? That’s where genius lies.

Within the Scotland camp, natural Caledonian caution is currently offset by a genuine belief that today’s Six Nations match at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium has arrived at an almost perfect moment.

The Scots are, to hear coach Matt Taylor tell it, a team on the up. A side looking to prove their Championship credentials.

Against a predictable but undoubtedly punishing Ireland side actively targeting a Grand Slam, they’ll have to be.

‘I’m excited about the game — we’re excited about going over there,’ said Taylor yesterday. ‘For us, it’s a game that has come at the right time for us.

‘In the sense that we didn’t start well against Wales, we were pretty good against France, played very well against England.

‘We feel that Ireland are one of the best teams in the competition. So it’s a good time for us to play them, to see where we’re at.’

Ireland are such a good yardstick because you know exactly what to expect from them.

Johnny Sexton, the stand-off with secular-saint status among Irish rugby fans, hardly needs any introduction.

Conor Murray’s ability to cause pain makes the scrum-half as dangerous — and annoying — as a piece of Lego left lying in wait for the unshod foot.

Cian Healy will look to turn a half-yard nudge into an electrifying three-yard shunt. Repeatedly.

The wide option will be the last option, usually deployed once the opposition have been left weak-kneed by 30 or more knockdown drives.

Ireland are brilliant. Successful, undoubtedly. But it’s hardly rugby to thrill the soul.

Irish head coach Joe Schmidt has been on the defensive this week, protesting just a little too much as he raved about his team playing ‘some of the best passes you’ll see in world rugby’ during their recent home win over Wales. Sure, Joe. Whatever you say.

If clashes of styles make for great fights, then we’re in for a classic. The stone hands of Roberto Duran versus the elusive, up-tempo, hit-’em-from-all-angles approach of Sugar Ray Leonard.

Scotland will certainly have to punch above their weight to beat a team ranked third in the world, a side looking to bag a record 11th straight international win.

Even if they play to their best, there’s a reason why today’s visitors are considered outsiders by every bookie from Limerick to Largo. Lower and Upper.

As a defence coach, someone who gets more kicks out of well-judged spacing than electrifying line breaks, Taylor appreciates the powerful pragmatism of today’s opponents.

‘Ireland are ruthlessly efficient and they’re very good at their game plan,’ he said. ‘They’ve been under Joe Schmidt for a number of years and they’re confident with how they play.

‘They squeeze you and they hold the ball for long periods. They play a good territory game.

‘Our game is slightly different in that we might spread the ball a bit more than they do. But you must give credit to Ireland. I think they’re exceptional with how they play their game, how they put teams under pressure.

‘That’s why they’ve won the Championship twice in the last five years. There will be moves that they’re very good at.

‘Joe is very good at looking at the opposition defence. He will then have either a starter move or a three-phase move that tries to expose that.

‘They’re also smart in the way they sometimes run it, sometimes kick it. But, when they get in your 22, you know what’s coming.

‘When they come at you, then you must front up. You’ve got to be in their faces, make good tackles and spread the field.

‘We’ve trained really well and we have a game plan which we think will work, if we do it well.

‘But we’ll have to focus on the full 80 minutes to get that result. Because we know what a good team Ireland are.’

Some of the Irish have tried to reignite the row that flared up last year, when Munster No 9 Murray accused Gregor Townsend’s Glasgow of targeting his standing leg when he was kicking.

Taylor, who moved from the Warriors to Scotland with Townsend, said: ‘(Is this) about putting him under pressure?

‘I think their 9 and 10 are the best two players in the Irish team. For us to be successful against them, we have to put them under pressure. That means chargedowns and that’s what we’ll do.

‘We’ll do it within the law, like we’ve always done. I think there was a lot made of it (Murray’s remarks) when there was not much in it.

‘We did everything within the laws, both last year and referring to the Glasgow game, which I was part of. We never got penalised in that game. We never got cited.

‘You have to apply pressure on those two guys (Murray and Sexton). If you let them have front-foot ball, they’re one of the best pairings in the world.

‘We’ll look to disrupt them and put them under pressure.’

Figuring out the keys to this game is, as Taylor said yesterday, ‘not rocket science’.

Top of the list against Ireland will be that split-second window of opportunity immediately after a tackle.

He almost danced a jig of delight when asked about Wayne Barnes being the referee today — not merely because he was in charge when the Scots beat Australia in Sydney last summer.

Taylor revealed that refs had talked about having ‘a contest at the breakdown’ during their pre-tournament summit with head coaches.

As wary as he is of Ireland’s threats in this area, he is optimistic that Barnes will strike the right balance.

That will be key against a side who have built their reputation on keeping the ball through phase after phase.

Scotland can’t beat them at their own game. They have to cover all the bases defensively — then look to break loose.

It will be hellishly tough for them just to stay in the game once the green machine starts rumbling towards them.

If ever Scotland wanted a chance to show that their time has come, however, this is surely it.