It will have been a difficult week for England's forwards and their coach Graham Rowntree. Not only have they had to learn to live without the cornerstone of their scrum, Dan Cole, but they have also had to relearn one of the key elements of the modern game – the driven maul.

A couple of months ago it wouldn't have been such an issue – Davey Wilson, Cole's replacement was going well following an intensive pre-season and was with England for the autumn Tests. Then, just before Christmas, the Bath prop did a calf muscle and has played only 47 minutes since.

Replacing Cole in the scrum is a big ask, but as important on Saturday will be how Wilson masters his role when England either attack with a driving maul, a more-than-useful weapon against the Scots, or have to defend against the Irish, who were allowed to elevate that area of their game to new levels against Wales.

Shaun Edwards, the Wales defence coach, reckons his side conceded 17 points to the driven maul in Dublin a fortnight ago, the best example of which came eight minutes from half-time: Rhys Priestland conceded a throw-in on the Wales left from a deft Jonny Sexton kick and from Rory Best throwing in at the lineout to Wayne Barnes raising his arm to show Chris Henry had touched down, was a mere seven seconds, and Wales were on their way to their worst Six Nations defeat in eight seasons.

It was a perfect example of what the untutored eye might consider a mere exercise in brute strength, but which is actually a part of rugby that can be as well choreographed as a West End chorus line.

Ireland's traditional set-up sees Peter O'Mahoney (6) catch the lineout and be supported by James Heaslip (8) and Devin Toner (4). Chris Henry (7) binds and takes the ball. Photograph: Graphic

In the Premiership the driven maul was once the domain of Neil Back and Leicester. Now Northampton are masterful, Sale get a disproportionate number of tries that way and Wasps have developed their all-in form (backs included) of getting the ball over the line. In Test rugby there are as many variations as there are teams, but in the Six Nations it is France, England – Luther Burrell's try against Scotland came from a driving maul – and Ireland who catch the eye, and it's worth examining Dublin a fortnight ago to see what England are up against on Saturday and what Wales failed to handle.

The Irish default drive is the 6+1 (diagram 1), where Peter O'Mahony catches the lineout and is supported on either side by his two lifters: No8 James Heaslip and second-row Devin Toner. The openside flanker Chris Henry (No7) binds on O'Mahony, takes the ball and is joined by Paul O'Connell (No5) and the tighthead prop Mike Ross, although they slip past Henry, binding on the front trio. That allows the flanker an escape route.

The variation move sees Toner catch the lineout and Heaslip join to the right as the front three forms. Against Wales this saw a right-moving maul swamp Mike Phillips. Photograph: Graphic

Against Wales, Ireland went that way three or four times before Henry's try-scoring move, which went some way towards fooling the likes of Richard Hibbard, the Wales hooker, when the variation was called. This time the lineout manoeuvres left Toner, at a shade under 7ft the tallest target for Best to find. He's joined by O'Mahony and Ross, but it is the positioning of Heaslip which is interesting. Initially the No8 stands off, joining to the right of Ross as the front three are forming (diagram 2).

At this point it is worth pointing out that any defence against the driving maul has to be in place before the drive is set. You can tackle as soon as the jumper has landed, but the timing has to be exquisite or the referee will say the maul has been taken down. More likely, defending packs will try to split the front shield, attacking the supporters (8 and 4 in diagram 1).

If they can get their heads into the spaces shown by the red arrows, so well and good, but Heaslip binding on the right gives Ireland another option. At the first sign of resistance he and Ross, supported by Best and the ball carrier, Henry, break off and head right. So successful was the deceit against Wales that the Irish quartet found only the scrum-half Mike Phillips between them and the line. And to make matters worse, once the two Wales back-rows, Toby Faletau and Sam Warburton, tried to make amends for their late arrival they merely gave the Irish shove extra impetus.

The problem for England, pretty good at the driven maul themselves, and pretty skilled at defending, is that Ireland also have the option of splitting off to the left (6, 4, 5, 7 in diagram 2) while England will be without Cole, the guy who normally performs the Heaslip role on England's drive.

Confused? I hope not, because that's not the end of it. Coaches are working on endless variations and just when you think you've mastered the signals and signs – depending on where Cole stood, I knew what England were up to; not that that's any use now – something different comes up.

For example France, long-time enthusiasts of the driving maul, often confuse things by throwing to the back of the lineout, only to switch their drive to the front.

The permutations are endless, but defence is not impossible. It has to be organised, physical and targeted before the maul is set and acquires momentum.