Scotland: Shock the Irish
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Scotland kept their Six Nations title hopes alive thanks to a hard fought 12-8 victory over Ireland at Murrayfield on Sunday.
It's the first time since 2001 that the Scots have won back-to-back Six Nations matches.
After trailing 8-0 early in the second half, the hosts put 12 unanswered points past their Celtic rivals thanks to the boot of scrum-half Greig Laidlaw that helped his team to an unlikely win and that effectively ends Ireland's Six Nations challenge.
It certainly wasn't the most memorable Championship clash ever witnessed, as the two teams served up a borefest in the first half with Ireland - who dominated possession throughout - heading into the break with a slender three-point lead.
However, Scotland's fightback in the second half breathed some life into a tight contest.
Ireland started the game with a roar and a hiss, with centre Luke Marshall breaking the Scots' defence with ease in his Test debut. But Ireland failed to convert pressure into points - even against 14 men after Scotland prop Ryan Grant was sin-binned - and only had a 35th-minute Paddy Jackson penalty to show for their dominance.
Ireland finally found the breakthrough they deserved when wing Craig Gilroy crossed early in the second half out wide. The tricky conversion from Jackson, who missed three times from the tee, was unsuccessful.
That try only seemed to give Scotland the wake-up needed to mount a comeback and it didn't take long for Laidlaw to put his team on the scoreboard with his first penalty kick of the match on 53 minutes.
Jackson pulled another penalty wide two minutes later, but Laidlaw showed the Irish rookie how it was done with his second three-pointer of the afternoon that cut the deficit to just two points and suddenly the crowd came alive.
Laidlaw continued to find his target and made no mistake with two more accurate kicks to give the Scots a four-point cushion entering the final five minutes of what was turning into a gripping finale.
But Ireland weren't prepared to roll over yet, and threatened to steal the match from their hosts when they awarded two attacking scrums 10m out from Scotland's tryline.
However, Scotland dug deep in defence and there was no way through for the Irish whose knock-on sent Murrayfield into raptures.
Man of the match: Scotland lock Jim Hamilton won the official gong, and his hard work at the set-piece was a real standout for the hosts. But we've opted for hero of the day Greig Laidlaw, who's four perfect kicks at goal handed Scotland victory.
Moment of the match: There weren't many. But those last few minutes that so nearly ended in heartbreak for the hosts was a real nail-biter.
Villain of the match: Ryan Grant's sin-binning didn't prove as costly as Paddy Jackson's three missed kicks at goal which ultimately cost his side dearly.
The scorers:
For Scotland:
Pens: Laidlaw 4
Yellow card:Grant (15th min)
For Ireland:
Try: Gilroy
Pen: Jackson
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Sean Lamont, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Kelly Brown (c), 6 Rob Harley, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Geoff Cross, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Ryan Grant.
Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Moray Low, 18 Jon Welsh, 19 Alastair Kellock, 20 David Denton, 21 Henry Pyrgos, 22 Duncan Weir, 23 Max Evans.
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip (c), 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Declan Fitzpatrick, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Iain Henderson, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ronan O'Gara, 23 Luke Fitzgerald.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Comments
kybone says...
I hope these posters telling us that 'Jackson did ok' aren't the same ones that are telling us that Owen Farrell isn't as good as he's made out to be. I know which of the two i'd have, and actually Jackson has probably played twice as many top level games at 10 than Farrell as Farrell usually plays 12 or 13 for Sarries. I actuall think that Jackson can come good in time, but no-one can deny that he had a shocker at the weekend. That was a performance reminiscent of a young Charlie Hodgson.
Posted 17:15 26th February 2013
Irishzimbabwean says...
Greyprop - agree entirely with you here. blametheref - you have had better days, stop digging.
Posted 15:36 26th February 2013
porridge_time says...
3in4 says...
Ireland got away with murder in the first 50 minutes at the breakdown. Your scrum creaked, groaned and folded at will... yet that also reaped you far too many free kicks and penalties.
Sounds like a little less navel gazing and a bit more potato eating is require from some of your crowd.
Posted 00:22 26th February 2013
Greyprop says...
@ blametheref. Dear god man do you ever read what you write. "With 80% possession we lost with Jackson at 10", and your point is? With 80% possession we lost with O'Driscoll at 13. "He dropped a pass" if that's now the benchmark for dropping players there would be nobody playing the game. Though I think your most vacuous argument was, " a few bad games with a misfiring Munster aren't enough to make him, sic. (O'Gara) a bad player. Then you must also argue that one bad game (debut) for Ireland isn't enough to make him ( Jackson ) a bad player.
The rest of your argument re. Chip kick is pure drivel and not worthy of the time to rebutt.
Posted 20:44 25th February 2013
blametheref says...
@Greyprop + 99Call
It doesn't matter what age Jackson is, with 80% possession we lost with him at 10 (unprecedented with so much possesion), which shows that he cannot run or manage a game at this level which is the prime requirement of a 10, especially if he's not on primarily for his goal-kicking. Not only this, he dropped his first pass, didn't demand the ball for shots at goal, missed a crucial penalty line kick and spent most of the 2nd half taking the ball into contact or using short safe passes. The correct choice should have been O' Gara to start, a few bad games with a misfiring Munster aren't enoigh to make him a bad player. Just think of it, if Luke Fitzgerald had gathered O' Gara's deft chip ahead we'd have won the game without doubt as he would have been home. Unfortunately, Fitzgerald is not good enough in these situations and had Gilroy been left on the field we'd now be celebrating a win, with O' Gara saving the match. So why was Gilroy even replaced at that juncture??..If Jackson's performance is acceptable to Irish fans we are in worse trouble than I thought, and that's a lot of trouble!!
Posted 17:03 25th February 2013
dezz says...
I'm not Irish but please sack Kidney. Seems that there's to many players being picked no matter how crap they are right now. Heaslip and Murray. Murray's service is on a par with Mike Phillips, but at least Mike gets stuck in and adds some grunt.
Posted 16:05 25th February 2013
99call says...
blametheref
"Jackson had a shocker because every single pivotal play or decision he failed to execute"
Im sorry mate we're you watching the same game as the rest of us, Jackson did OK he got the backline moving and created breaks for Marshall and Earls which unfortunately werent finished off
The only thing thays inept here buddy is your understanding of the game had we started with ROG we would have had a dull kicking fest with Marshall not being brought into the game at all, everyone knows ROG either kicks it or runs to a metre of the line peels away then passes to a centre who finds himself with the defense on him as they know they dont have to worry about ROG breaking the line.
At the end of the day the pack lost the game not Jackson, the only bright points of the match were Marshall breaking the line more times in one game that Darcy has done in 3 years and Jackson creating the space to make it happen
Posted 14:31 25th February 2013
3in4 says...
@porridgetime Most Irish fans aren't making lame excuses, to be fair. We lost because of appalling decision-making and poor finishing. And rest assured, the fact that we lost to Scotland multiplies the embarrassment and humiliation by about 100.
Posted 14:13 25th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Fair response jaycee_111. I diagree, but respect your point of view.
Posted 13:59 25th February 2013
kybone says...
Ben7 and PREEST- If its all so boring then why watch. You've said the same thing for 3 rounds in a row now, yet you continue to 'sacrifice a nights sleep' in order to watch. Im willing to bet you'll be watching again in 2 weeks time.
Posted 13:50 25th February 2013
Greyprop says...
@ blametheref, so Ronan O'Gara not starting the match was the reason Ireland lost. Utter tosh, ROG has neither showed nor done anything this season to convince anyone that he is the match winner, either for Munster or Ireland, that he once was. He only committed one stupid mistake because he wasn't on long enough to make any more. You then say that P Jackson had no authority, well the team captain with over 140 club caps and over 50 international caps didn't show much authority or leadership on the field. Jackson was dumped into the 10 shirt at 20 years old as a knee jerk reaction by an inept coach. Obviously neither the coach or captain had any confidence in his goal kicking ability and YOU expect him to come out and play like Dan Carter. How I wish I had your knowledge and vision to see a young lad on his international debut with a failing team and declare him not to be of international standard. Did it maybe occur to you that he might be used to getting better and quicker ball from his SH. Ireland lost this match because of the total mismanagement of the entire team. They have a coach who is totally out of his depth, doesn't seem to prepare his players properly, doesn't arm them with workable game plans, and if what I hear is true doesn't have the confidence of some senior players. And no, the ref had nothing to do with it. They are professional rugby players and they know the foibles of every top ref, they know what to expect and plan their match play accordingly.
Posted 13:26 25th February 2013
carpelone says...
Moment of the match
When the game was declared over.
Posted 13:12 25th February 2013
jaycee_111 says...
rugby_rockstar
I am a Scotland supporter but also a referee and Barnesy was not on Scotland's case in the first half the simple fact is if you are defending in your own half without the ball you are going to get penalised second half Scotland appeared in Ireland's half with the ball and hey presto they get penalites. Both sides were penalised correctly in my opionion.
Posted 12:12 25th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
For once it is good to be English! Even England in their darkest days couldn't have lost a match with that much possession! Unbelievable!
BOD was his usual self but is hampered by the rubbish around him - O'Gara is now not just losing The Lions tests but is losing them for Ireland too (which I find much easier to stand).
The last 10 minutes were great - the rest was just awful! Any Ireland fan who appears on an England stream talking about our limited game plan will be laughed out of the room! We might be dull and effective - Ireland are just dull!
Posted 11:55 25th February 2013
blametheref says...
The most inept 6 Nations rugby I've ever seen from both sides, Ireland were like headless turkeys and Scotland hardly mounted one attack during the entire match...Wayne Barnes didn't help Scotland's cause as he reffed them for the entire match, did anyone tell him Ireland were also playing (trying to play)? Paddy Jackson, with help from the most indecisive Irish captain I've ever seen, Heaslip, had a shocker. Jackson had a shocker because every single pivotal play or decision he failed to execute. Even though O' Gara made one stupid cross field kick, had he started Ireland would have won this at a canter, especially as he would have been placing the ball for the shots at goal before Heaslip could have intervened...In a nutshell, Jackson lacks authority as a 10 and is not International calibre...As with our failure at the WC, New Zealand and the Autumn Series, the dire and unacceptable situation rests 100% with the IRFU as Declan Kidney should have gone, like Martin Johnson did with England, after the World Cup...Ireland, with the talent they have squandered, have now got to be the biggest underachivers in world rugby. Hats off to Scotland, a win is indeed a win!
Posted 11:40 25th February 2013
Irishzimbabwean says...
PatrickH - quite right. I would add Conor Murray to that list. Dan Tuohy has to come back for the French game. Eoin Reddan to start with Paul Marshall on the bench. If Sexton unfit, then Jackson to start with Luke Fitzgerald over Earls. And Henderson to start on the blind. However, since that would mean dropping all five Munster starters (as well as O' Gara), it is unlikely.......
Posted 11:03 25th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
porridge_time,
Yeah, I'm amazed all six teams aren't racking up 40 point scorelines, seeing how warm and sunny it is and how firm and dry the pitches are. I think you may be a raving mad as that irish team who were chucking the ball about like it was the middle of July yesterday. They got far, didn't they.
Posted 10:57 25th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
I had a feel Scotland would win, but they had to work so hard with a tiny amount of posession.
Firstly, I think Wayne Barnes had decided Scotland were not good enough to win before kick off. He blew scotland off the pitch for all of the first half, then his colleague must jhave had a word, becasue he was slighkly less "Irish" in the 2nd half. How scotland stayed in the game with it being 16 vs 15 and then 16 vs 14 is simply down to heart, bravery.... and the Irish players!
The irish lineout was absolute pants and they exhibited absolutley no patience with the ball in hand. where were the fantastic running lines and training field moves from the first half against Wales??? instead it was like watching England vs Fiji and Australia in November. A Mess. That was largely down to Toby Flood. and Paddy Jackson suffered the same symptons of doing rather than thinking. Brain in neutral, run program, keep running program even when its failing abysmally. There was no adaption from ireland at all and it cost them. They need to be alot smarter. I don't know if its arrogance but the imtimidation tactic for kicking to the corner every penalty just gave Scotland a close win. If only Ireland had kicked for goal? they had at least four opportunities to build a lead that scotland would have stuggled to overturn.
Ireland blew it.
Scotland were total heroes. Engulfed by a 16 man tidal wave and still standing proud on the other side. A brilliant underdog win.
Posted 10:43 25th February 2013
porridge_time says...
Can't believe the amount of excuses coming from Irish fans... it was the ref, it was our second team.
Posted 10:31 25th February 2013
Iyhel says...
@Sirjona and porridge_time: you can add the French 2010 GS to the list, the Tournament started well but ended horribly.
Posted 09:42 25th February 2013