Simon Easterby has warned Ireland not to repeat the mistakes of 2007 when chasing Six Nations glory in Edinburgh this weekend.

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Easterby watched in horror as Ireland chased a points-difference boosting final try rather than punt the ball out for full-time in Italy eight years ago, only to concede a pivotal converted score.

Roland de Marigny plundered the last-gasp score for the Azzurri, with Ireland winning out 54-21: France then hammered Scotland 46-19 to swipe the title on points-difference – by just a four-point margin.

Easterby has moved from flanker in 2007 to forwards coach in 2015 – but knows Ireland face a similar situation and is wary of the pitfalls of chasing glory rather than focusing on victory. Ireland can still retain their Six Nations title with victory in Edinburgh on Saturday.

England’s Twickenham clash with France kicks off last though, and Easterby is keen to avoid any repeat of that 2007 pain.

“It is exactly that, you’ve got to focus on what you can do in that 80 minutes,” said Easterby, recalling Ireland’s aborted 2007 title challenge.

“We’ve got to focus on what we can produce in Murrayfield.

“The performance first and foremost will give us the right result and what goes outside of our environment in Rome and London is exactly that, outside our control and we can’t factor that into what we’re doing in the 80 minutes against Scotland.

“They are going to make it difficult enough as it is without us focusing on what else is going on elsewhere.”