The Mirror rugby correspondent attempts to decipher the mind games of coaches trying to talk down their chances ahead of Six Nations
Eddie Jones says Scotland are favourites to beat England, while Warren Gatland admits that he has gone out of his way to talk Ireland up.
Welcome to the Six Nations, a tournament played as much in the theatre of the mind as on the pitches of Europe.
The bookmakers make England warm favourites at 6/4, ahead of Wales (2/1) and reigning champions Ireland (4/1).
Agree or disagree – and Ireland and Wales have monopolised the trophy since England’s last title win in 2011 – at least you know where you stand with that.
Ask almost anybody directly involved in this traditional winter warmer and you have to read between the lines of their responses.
“All we are doing is trying to create a situation where we put our team in the best position,” said England head coach Jones, when asked why he plays mind games.
“Every time we talk to the media, we are trying to find a way to win.
“It is an important part of the game. Warren Gatland does it exceedingly well doesn’t he? He’s a champion at doing it.
“Clive Woodward wasn’t too bad either. And he’s knighted – knighted for doing mind games!”
You will gather from this that Jones is an unapologetic wind-up merchant, one who has already got a rise out of Scotland counterpart Vern Cotter by suggesting England are “massive” underdogs.
An Aussie provoking a Kiwi, Jones will award himself double points for that.
Prepare for plenty more of that in the coming weeks, given Wales and Ireland are also coached by New Zealanders.
Gatland admits he loves to drop the odd ‘grenade’ himself, but ahead of this Dublin weekend he has left the pin in.
Experience has taught him that winding up Ireland – champions for the past two years – tends to backfire, so this time round he is attempting to kill them with kindness.
“We have to be very conscious that the Irish love to go in with the tag of underdogs and have people writing them off,” he said.
“That’s when they respond the best.”
When two Celtic nations clash the pre-match battle for underdog status is as fiercely fought as the contest itself.
A poor World Cup combined with the absence of such stalwarts as Paul O’Connell, Tommy Bowe, Mike Ross and Cian Healy makes the Irish vulnerable this time. Joe Schmidt has said as much.
But don’t expect Gatland to agree.
Quick as a flash he points to the fact Ireland are at home and Wales are “traditionally slow starters”.
Anything else?
“Look, part of Joe’s role – and my role – is to talk each other up as much as we can.”
The truth is that home advantage means little in this fixture.
In the past 30 years Wales have beaten Ireland in Dublin eight times, just as many as they have failed to do so.
Wales have a good chance of both victory on Sunday and with regards to the championship, as they have done immediately after the last two World Cups.
They are a nation that loves playing at Twickenham and that is their only other road trip.
Scotland, France and Italy all have to come to Cardiff.
The Eddie Jones factor is the big imponderable in all of this. Is he all mouth and trousers or can he effect meaningful change so soon after England’s World Cup flop?
Gatland, Schmidt, Cotter, Guy Noves of France and Jacques Brunel of Italy will each have a different view on this.
Just don’t expect what they think and what they tell us to necessarily correspond.
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