Scotland went into this game knowing that a win would see them avoid the wooden spoon.
Ireland knew they had to win by at least 21 points to overtake Wales and go to the top of the table.
Scotland 10 – Ireland 40
First Half
Following the Welsh result Ireland knew they needed to get a good start to avoid getting pulled into a tight game that could deny them the points tally they needed.
That start came after just four minutes via captain Paul O’Connell. A slick backs move from a scrum saw Henshaw dragged down a few metres from the line. Ireland then proceded to pummel the Scottish line. Scotland finally ran out of defenders as O’Connell picked from a ruck to go over. Sexton converted and Ireland were 7-0 up.
Paul O’Connell – the captain got his team off the mark
Sexton then tagged on three more points for Ireland when the Scots were penalised at a lineout. 10-0 after ten minutes.
As we approached the end of the first quarter Laidlaw cut the Irish lead from the kicking tee as Best came in at the side of a ruck. Scotland were beginning to come into the game.
Ireland struck again on 24 minutes. Best threw to Toner at the tail of an Irish lineout just inside the Scottish 22. Toner handed off to O’Brien who powered through Fife’s despairing tackle and over the line. Sexton oblidged from the tee to make it 17-3. The 21 point margin was beginning to look achievable.
A mix up in the Irish defence allowed Hogg to collect a bouncing grubber and his pop to Russell brought Scotland within touching distance of the Irish line. Laidlaw produced quick ball from the ruck and Russell finished the overlap to run around behind the posts. Laidlaw added the conversion to make it 17-10 with 10 to half time.
Finn Russell – his try brought Scotland back into the game
A scrum penalty conceded by Cross allowed Sexton to increase the Irish margin and to renew their chase of the Welsh total. His kick made it 20-10 and that was the score at half time.
Second Half
Ireland started the second half in the same vein as the first. The forwards drove a lineout to within 5 metres of the line and once again Ireland battered the Scottish line. This time Scotland held out but did so illegally, not rolling away in the tackle. O’Connell pointed to the posts and Sexton made it 23-10 with five gone.
Irish pressure after the restart forced Scotland into errors and allowed Ireland to quickly get back into the red zone.
Ireland drove a maul within sight of the Scottish line. They then attacked the fringes before Murray spread the ball to Sexton who put Payne though a gap to score under the posts.
Jared Payne – his performance today will go someway to silence his critics
A couple of minutes later Hamilton was pinged for being off his feet, giving Sexton the chance to put Ireland top of the Six Nations standings from the tee. Sexton missed the kick from in front of the posts and set some Irish nerves jangling.
Scotland were then reduced to 14 men as Geoff Cross was sin binned for playing the ball off his feet at a ruck. The penalty was in front and about 40 metres out. It was the kind of kick Sexton knocks over routienely. He missed to the right and the Irish fans were sweating again.
Despite the missed penalty Ireland still maintained good territory and their more ambition play saw their backs make good ground.
Sexton had another kick in a similar position to the one he’d just missed. He split the posts and Ireland went to the top of the standings, leading 33-10 as we entered the final 20 minutes.
Scotland then has a period of pressure that didn’t result in points but did spin the clock on ten minutes.
Ireland wen’t finished scoring though. Sexton gathered a loose ball on halfway and chipped through. He chased down his own kick and forced Scotland to carry the ball out close to their own line. That was the last effort from Sexton who was withdrawn to be replaced by Maddigan.
From the lineout Ireland went to the maul. When it stalled Murray moved the point of attack. The ball reached O’Brien who dummied and then stretched out to dot down on the line. Maddigan converted from right in front to make it 40-10.
Sean O’Brien – scored two tries and looked back to his best
There was still time for yet more drama. Scotland attacked from a lineout just inside the Irish 22. They spread the ball to the opposite side. The ball went to the deck but a superb pass from the floor from Russell found Hogg out wide. Hogg cut inside the Irish cover to score in the corner, or did he?
A review from the TMO showed that Jamie Heaslip managed to get back and dislodge the ball as Hogg was about to score.
Ireland finished the game camped in the Scottish 22 and when Scotland conceded a penalty in the final minutes O’Connell pointed to the posts. Maddigan missed the chance to add to their points tally.
In the end it didn’t matter. Ireland’s 40-10 scoreline was enough although the English and French made them sweat right to the death.
The second installment of a magnificient trio of games added to the excitement on a day to remember, not just for the Six Nations but for the whole of rugby.
The wrap up
Ireland spread the ball more than they have in the entire Championship today as they chased a big taget set by Wales. They reaped their rewards on the field and ultimately clinched a second Six Nations Championship on the bounce. Schmidt would be very pleased with what he saw today and will continue to evolve the Irish game as we approach the RWC.
This defeat condemned Scotland to the wooden spoon. In the first half they showed signs that Cotter’s revolution is beginning to take hold. The second half performance reminded us there’s still plenty of cultivating to be done.
[one_half last=”no”]
The Game Changer
Ten minutes into the second half Ireland were building pressure close to the Scottish line. Initially a maul got them close to going over in the corner and then they attacked the fringes.
In similar positions last week they kept trying to power their way over. This wasn’t last week though and Murray spread the ball to Sexton. Payne cut back inside and picked a beautiful line to receive Sexton’s reverse pass and cut through the Scottish defence to score under the posts.
The score put Ireland 20 points ahead and just a single point shy of the Welsh. Confidence flowed from the Irish from then on.
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
The G&GR MOTM
Stuart Hogg continues to impress for Scotland. He was fantastic in a losing team today.
Ireland had plenty of good performances today. The misses aside Sexton was excellent. I’m running out of superlatives for Murray. The centres finally clicked. O’Connell continues to defy the sands of time. Peter O’Mahony put in an epic performance in the second half.
Something that Ireland were missing earlier in the tournament was go forward from their ball carriers. Sean O’Brien brought that in spades today. He scored two tries and his all round performance clinches the MOTM.[/one_half]
The Details
Score & Scorers
[one_half last=”no”]Scotland 10
Tries: Russell (29)
Conversions: Laidlaw (30)
Penalties: Laidlaw (17)
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]Ireland 40
Tries: O’Connell (4), O’Brien (24, 71), Payne (49)
Conversions: Sexton (5, 25, 50), Madigan (72)
Penalties: Sexton (9, 33, 44, 61)
[/one_half][one_half last=”no”]
Cards & citings
Geoff Cross – Yellow Card (55)
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Crowd
67,144
[/one_half]
The Teams
Scotland
1. R. Grant, 2. R. Ford, 3. E. Murray, 4. J. Hamilton, 5. J. Gray, 6. A. Ashe, 7. B. Cowan, 8. D. Denton, 9. G. Laidlaw, 10. F. Russell, 11. T. Seymour, 12. M. Scott, 13. M. Bennett, 14. D. Fife, 15. S. Hogg.
Reserves: 16. F. Brown, 17. A. Dickinson, 18. G. Cross, 19. T. Swinson, 20 R. Harley, 21. S. Hidalgo-Clyne, 22. G. Tonks, 23. T. Visser.
Ireland
1. C. Healy, 2. R. Best, 3. M. Ross, 4. D. Toner, 5. P. O’Connell, 6. P. O’Mahony, 7. S. O’Brien, 8. J. Heaslip, 9. C. Murray, 10. J. Sexton, 11. L. Fitzgerald, 12. R. Henshaw, 13. J. Payne, 14. T. Bowe, 15. R. Kearney.
Reserves: 16. S. Cronin, 17. J. McGrath, 18. M. Moore, 19. I. Henderson, 20. J. Murphy, 21. E. Reddan, 22. I. Madigan, 23. F. Jones.
