'It's not always like this, you've got to cherish it' - Johnny Sexton relishing the pressure of Grand Slam run-in

While the current Ireland squad contains a healthy core of players from the 2018 Grand Slam success, for many of Andy Farrell's squad who will line out against Scotland, this is unfamiliar terrain.

In the pack, Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher and Caelan Doris arrived long after the title success of five years ago, while the knee injury suffered by Josh van der Flier in the opening round of 2018 against France saw him miss out on end of that campaign.

Across the backline, there are plenty of frontliners who are yet to taste Six Nations glory, with Craig Casey and Mack Hansen relatively new to the international scene, and although Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Hugo Keenan have all won big silverware at Leinster, a Grand Slam run-in is another step up entirely.

With every game Ireland win - eight in a row for those counting - the expectation and pressure rises accordingly, especially for a side who are yet to get their hands on a major trophy under Andy Farrell.

But for Johnny Sexton, who is looking to cap off his final Six Nations appearances with a fourth title and second slam, the pressure only makes the journey better.

"It's about embracing it, it’s about realising that it’s not always like this," the Ireland captain says, ahead of this Sunday's Guinness Six Nations meeting with the Scots at Murrayfield (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).

And the out-half (below) says this side don't need to look too far into the past to be reminded of the tough days.

"Going back a couple of years, we’d lost our first two games and we were fighting for a bit of respect, a bit of pride, whatever. So it’s not always like this, you’ve got to cherish it. Where else would you rather be? Would you rather be fourth and playing for nothing?

"It’s where we