Celtic animosity: No love lost as Scots aim to end Irish rule

The Scottish rugby team have been Ireland's whipping boys for the guts of two decades but this evening they have a "free hit" at a historically sickening upset.

On the rugby podcast this week, former Scottish scrum half Rory Lawson was heartened to learn that Ireland were treating this game as a last-16 tie, given our now infamous history of the jitters in World Cup knockouts.

It has become evident that there is considerable giddiness among our neighbours and rivals at the possibility of Ireland mucking up another World Cup quarter-final, such is their weariness at this long, long winning streak. If Andy Farrell's side somehow conspire to not even make the quarters, the laughter will be even louder.

Ireland were once loveable underdogs in the boot, bollock and bite era but are increasingly an object of resentment now that winning has become an ingrained habit.

Within the confines of the URC, in particular, Ireland, and especially Leinster, are despised overdogs.

Given our own fondness for 'What the foreign papers are saying' content, it is slightly surprising that our own output is now being eyed just as warily.

For instance, it's become apparent from perusing comments sections and the replies to social media output - including our own podcast - that South African fans now monitor Irish rugby content the way the CIA keeps tabs on the dark web.

Indeed, we're probably not far away from a circular being issued to Irish sports desks that all their rugby output should be written up on the understanding that the current South African director of rugby will see it at some point.

Meanwhile, it is the settled opinion of Welsh rugby's large band of Twitter addicts that Ireland hasn't won a game of rugby union without the ref's help since