6N: Best says 'scummy Irish' comments just a sideshow
LONDON (AP) Ireland captain Rory Best insists Eddie Jones' ''scummy Irish'' comments are a mere sideshow to his team's Six Nations Grand Slam-decider against England on Saturday at Twickenham.
Video surfaced this week of Jones criticizing Ireland and Wales, and the England coach has apologized twice.
Best brushed it aside when the topic was raised at the captain's run on Friday.
''A lot of players and people have done those private Q and As and I'm sure he didn't mean it to be offensive towards Ireland or Irish rugby,'' Best said.
''So if we start to get distracted with a sideshow like that and bits and pieces, it takes us away from what is important to us. And what is important to us is the 80 minutes of rugby in front of us.''
Ireland won the championship by beating Scotland 28-8 last weekend, and must end England's 14-match unbeaten run at Twickenham under Jones in order to claim the Grand Slam.
Best said it would be ''madness'' to believe England has lost its edge after two consecutive defeats on the road.
''England are a quality side, and disputing that would be madness,'' Best said. ''They've yet to lose here under Eddie Jones. And we expect them to do what they have been doing here, and that's produce a big performance.
''Twickenham is a big fortress: There's no point trying to hide away from that. There's always a fear factor when you're playing international rugby, because you are playing the best players in the world.
''And when you step on the pitch tomorrow you're playing an England side fairly well full of some of the very best players in the world. Some have shown it recently, some last summer (for the British and Irish Lions), and some over a long period of time. So it is about going out and performing, for us.
''You always have that consolation prize of the championship, but having put ourselves in this position we want to go on and achieve something special.''
His England counterpart Dylan Hartley urged his side to prove it remains a force after defeats to Scotland and France.
A humbling fifth-place finish is the fate that awaits England if it endures a third loss and results elsewhere conspire against it.
Restored as captain and hooker after missing the 22-16 defeat in Paris with a tight calf last weekend, Hartley doesn't view the slump as a terminal decline.
''We are still a good team,'' he said. ''Two losses don't mean we are not a good team.
''The guys owe it to themselves first and foremost, but also to our crowd and our general support. We're excited. We are hungry, we are hungry to go out and perform, we're hungry to get a result.
''It's all growth for the team, every setback, every disappointment.''
