Paul O'Connell insists Ireland are focused for the Six Nations clash with Scotland

Ireland skipper Paul O'Connell insists there will be no complacency among his players when they face Scotland in their Six Nations finale at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The Irish go into the match looking for a victory to retain their championship crown with Wales, England a long-shots France also in with a shout of glory.

Scotland are attempting to avoid the wooden spoon, having suffered four successive defeats, but O’Connell believes that makes the home side dangerous opponents.

The Munster lock admitted Ireland adopted a no-fear mentality in denying England a Grand Slam in Dublin in 2011, at the end of a disappointing campaign.

Ireland were bidding to avoid their third defeat of that tournament and pulled off a stunning 24-8 victory, stopping England in their tracks.

And O'Connell insists Ireland must be ready for the Scots to adopt a similar approach this weekend.

"I think we've all been there: I remember being in the Aviva Stadium in 2011 when England were coming over to try to win a championship and we had struggled," he said.

'Massive'

"We'd struggled for form and we used that game as a massive spark for us, we saw it as a great opportunity.

"We weren't really playing for anything; we had nothing to lose, so we started at 100 miles an hour and didn't slow down. So that's why the preparation hasn't changed."

Wales face Italy in the first match of the day, and head coach Joe Schmidt admits he will have one eye on proceedings in Rome although O'Connell is determined to shut out all extraneous thoughts in Scotland.

England, who are favourites for the Six Nations crown, will be up last when they play host to France at Twickenham in the final match of the Championships.

"It's like the Heineken Cup or Champions Cup where it's a dangerous place to go to start thinking about anything but winning the game," said O'Connell.

"You'll have a plan going into the game of how to beat a team and you'll try to execute that as well as you can. That's all we've spoken about and that's all we've addressed.

"I'm sure things will happen throughout the day but our big focus is the start of the game, starting the game well, starting in disciplined fashion and getting ourselves off on the right foot.

"That's the same as if we were coming over here to win by one point. That's all you can do, and whatever happens, happens.

"I won't be paying much attention to it all, and I certainly hope we won't be paying too much attention to it. Any other year we'd be trying to win the game first and foremost: and that will be the same case tomorrow."