Les Kiss warned yesterday that George Ford’s “scary relationship” with Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson could derail Ireland’s quest to retain the Six Nations title.

Defence specialist Kiss has admitted Ireland’s coaches were shocked by England’s new-found attacking fluency when preparing for the pivotal Six Nations clash in Dublin on March 1.

Ireland and England are the Six Nations’s only remaining unbeaten sides but Kiss has denied that the winners at the Aviva Stadium will stride onwards to the title.