I always disliked the away match in Italy during my time playing for Ireland.
As a player, you’re always trying to stay focused, but if you ever needed time away from the intensity of the team room in Rome, you would likely see large groups Irish supporters in hotels and pubs. Sunglasses on, sinking pints and having the time of their lives.
Because for a long time, Irish fans saw the away match against Italy as an excuse for a nice weekend in the one of the world’s greatest cities.
But the whole “sure it’s only Italy, it’ll be grand” attitude definitely isn’t there anymore. If they didn’t already know, the 20,000 or so Irish fans that made the trip on Saturday saw that Italy are here and ready to be taken seriously.
Saturday was my first time as a spectator in Rome, and now I can see why it is so popular. The city itself is incredible, but you could really feel the enthusiasm for rugby at the Stadio Olimpico.
In years gone by, the stadium would have been barely half-full, and with the running track between the pitch and the stands, it was difficult to pick up on the atmosphere, if there was any.
But Saturday felt like a proper Six Nations occasion. The pre-game atmosphere outside the stadium had a real carnival feel to it, between the food, the concert and the thousands of supporters who had flocked to the Eternal City to see a rapidly improving Italy taking on the world’s number one side.
An Italy win would have wrecked Ireland’s Grand Slam dream, but it would have been great for the Six Nations – and they nearly pulled it off.
Speaking to Andy Farrell after the match, he couldn’t believe the line speed and intensity of Italy’s defence.
But it was their attack that really caught me off guard. Ireland missed 27 tackles, 20 of which were in the first half, which is practically unheard of. Here was Ireland, a team who have contained the best teams in the world, struggling to deal with Italy’s speed and skill.
As a result, a lot of Ireland’s play wasn’t pretty. It reminded me of the Grand Slam year in 2009 when Ronan O’Gara was yellow-carded early on and Italy had us on the ropes before they faded, allowing us to win comfortably in the end.
Italy had chances to win the game on Saturday as well. Had Juan Ignacio Brex kept the ball in his hand instead of going for the cross-kick with the Irish defence creaking, we may well have seen a famous Italian win.
But Ireland, like they have so often done under Farrell, found a way to win.
It ticks off another important part of this Ireland journey. Against Wales, they ended a 10-year wait for a win in Cardiff. Against France, they came out on top in the big heavyweight showdown between the world’s top two sides. And in Italy, they managed to carve out another bonus-point win despite a sloppy performance which had them under severe pressure.
Overcoming different types of tests is key to winning championships, and that’s exactly what Ireland have done in the first three rounds.
‘Bigger picture plays into Murrayfield Test’
After beating Italy in 2009, Declan Kidney made a host of changes for the Scotland game the following week, but if Farrell makes changes for the trip to Murrayfield, he will surely look to throw his fit-again key men back into the fray.
And having the likes of Tadhg Furlong, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Johnny Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park back is crucial given how Scotland have played in their first three games.
Sure, Scotland’s Grand Slam hopes was crushed by France on Sunday, but they are still chasing the title and want to bring the Triple Crown back to Edinburgh for the first time in over 30 years.
And on top of that, beating Ireland would hand Scotland a massive boost seven months before they meet again in the World Cup. Even without the Grand Slam, the incentive is definitely there for the Scots.
It’s also worth remembering that Farrell’s men will face South Africa and Scotland in their last two Pool B games in France. Were they to fall at Murrayfield, people would need to start thinking that getting to a World Cup quarter-final against France or New Zealand isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion.
Scotland are all about confidence, and with a Six Nations scalp fresh in their memory and a talented squad on the up, they would have the perfect amount of it to shatter Ireland’s World Cup dream.
That’s why, for me, Ireland must deliver their biggest performance against Scotland. If Italy was about finding a way to get over the line, Murrayfield is the stage to rediscover their best rugby, show their dominance and silence another rival in a World Cup year.
Like the France game, the bigger picture really plays into this one. Not only is the Scotland game a key moment in the Grand Slam quest, it is another psychological hurdle for Ireland to overcome before heading to France in the autumn.
And with several of Farrell’s nailed-on starts expected to return, Ireland must seize the chance to lay down a marker and remind everyone why they have been tipped to have the greatest year in their history.
Tommy Bowe was speaking to BBC Sport NI’s Matt Gault