Eoin Reddan knows the Six Nations ’ staggered final-day format leaves second-placed Ireland poised to be agonisingly pipped at the post in the same way as in 2007 , but says they just need to deal with it . Ireland handsomely beat Italy eight years ago on the final Saturday of the tournament but France , playing last that day , went into their game knowing a 24-point win over Scotland would bag the title . They won by 27 , a late try denying Eddie O ’ Sullivan ’ s side . Now it ’ s leaders England who have the scheduling advantage , as their game against France this weekend starts at 5pm following Ireland ’ s 2.30 kick-off in Scotland . Eoin Reddan ( centre ) knows his side are likely to miss out on the Six Nations title after defeat to Wales . However , Reddan accepts the rules are the rules , claiming it would be ‘ crazy ’ to be critical of the organisers just a few days before the curtain comes down on the 2015 campaign . ‘ It is the way it is and it presents different challenges , ’ said the back-up scrum half . ‘ The teams that play early , they have got the mental battle of having to win the game and push on and the teams that play late have a target they can chase . ‘ It ’ s a flip of a coin whether you say that makes it more interesting or less interesting . TV rights would probably make the conversation null and void , the amount of money TV provides for Six Nations . The fact that they all want to watch three games is probably the real answer and there is no other way they ’ re going to do it. ’ VIDEO Wales dash Ireland 's Grand Slam hopes . Irish players make a last ditch effort to get the ball over the line during the Six Nations clash in Cardiff . Reddan came off the bench in Rome in 2007 , a day when long-serving hooker Rory Best and current assistant coach Simon Easterby started in the pack . Ireland were 34 points to the good with time almost up only for Denis Leamy to tap a penalty in the hope of adding to his team ’ s eight-try tally . Instead , they were turned over and Italy scored a converted try through Roland de Marigny to crucially help France ’ s cause . Reddan hasn ’ t forgotten its consequences . ‘ I remember us conceding a try late on that lost us the trophy , which we shouldn ’ t have conceded . We should have beaten Italy by that extra bit and we would have won the trophy . Simon Zebo is upended during his sides ' loss to Wales which ended their Grand Slam hopes . ‘ It ’ s galling , but you do know the rules . You do know what time the games are on . ‘ We ’ re not really stepping back trying to judge the competition because it ’ s not really going to change , is it ? ‘ Especially for me , a few days out from this one , to be reflecting that the competition is a bit “ off ” would be crazy . At the end of the day , we ’ re playing second and we ’ re going to have a job to do from the start and that job may change as the game goes on or it may not , ’ added Reddan . ‘ The way to win a title is probably not to think about a title , ’ he added . ‘ It ’ s frustrating listening to us because you want to grasp on to the fact that we want to go and win the title and all that , but we have a responsibility where there is no margin for error , no margin for anything . Scott Williams ( bottom ) is congratulated by his Welsh team mates as they defeated Ireland last Saturday . ‘ We can ’ t even live in that world ( of title talk ) so that is why we give you what we give you in terms of having to win the game first , because if you take your eye off that for a second there is no championship , there is no win . ‘ Treating Scotland as if there isn ’ t a championship on the line is the key . Realising how good they are , realising their threats and treating them just as you would if this game didn ’ t need to be a points margin ( win ) , treating them like that and keeping it on for the whole game . ‘ There were games last year , like against Italy , which got us over the line in the overall . It was 12 points in the last three minutes . That is just about going and going and going again and not getting too carried away with the big picture , just doing your own little thing a bit harder , a bit faster and just keeping that mindset going all the time . ‘ We have the responsibility of letting people dream and think big but our responsibility is to focus on the small little things and keep doing it to the end. ’ Ireland need to better England 's score by four points if they want to win the coveted Six Nations crown .
Eoin Reddan says his Ireland side know they 're to be pipped to the title . The scrum half does n't blame the schedule changes for television . Ireland lie in second with England top of the RBS three Nations table . Click here for all the latest three Nations news .