Six Nations preview: Ireland to put pressure on France with victory against Scotland in Dublin

David Skippers 18 Mar 2022 8:15 AM

This year’s Six Nations is set to reach its climax on Saturday and Ireland will be determined to put pressure on tournament pacesetters France in the race for the title by securing a victory over Scotland at the Aviva Stadium.

That is easier said than done but the men from the Emerald Isle will be quietly confident of achieving that goal as they head into this fixture in a rich vein of form after registering solid wins over Italy in Dublin and England at Twickenham in recent weeks.

Prior to that, Andy Farrell‘s side started their campaign with a bang when they delivered an excellent all-round display en route to a bonus-point victory against defending champions Wales. Their next match was a tricky assignment against high riding France in Paris but they pushed their hosts all the way before coming up short in a 30-24 defeat.

Those wins over the Azzurri and England sets them up nicely for their match with the Scots and an Irish triumph will mean they finish the Championship as Triple Crown winners – a feat they last achieved in 2018.

A positive result for them also means Les Bleus have it all to do as apart from their Grand Slam ambitions, a defeat for them against England will almost certainly mean that Ireland are crowned Six Nations champions as they have a superior points difference to France.

Meanwhile, Scotland head into this fixture after delivering another mixed bag of results in 2022 and it was another campaign of “ifs” and “buts” for head coach Gregor Townsend and his troops.

Like last year, they made a fantastic start by beating England in their tournament opener but it all went pear-shaped after that as they suffered back-to-back defeats to Wales and France before they bounced back with a victory against perennial whipping boys Italy, in Rome last week.

That means the men in dark blue have, once again, flattered to deceive and they face a daunting task against their hosts who have proven difficult to beat at the Aviva Stadium of late, with their last loss at the venue registered in February 2021 when they came up short against France.

Added to that is the fact that Ireland have dominated this fixture in recent years and they head into Saturday’s match having won the last six matches between these teams.

Last time they met

The sides faced off in a Round Four fixture at Murrayfield last year and the match was a real thriller filled with plenty of entertainment and drama, with the game in the balance until its closing stages. Ireland dominated early on an held a 14-10 lead at half-time thanks to three Johnny Sexton penalties and a Robbie Henshaw try while all Scotland’s points were scored by Finn Russell, who crossed the whitewash and added a conversion and a penalty. Ireland continued to dominate after the break and held a 24-10 lead after Tadhg Beirne scored a try which Sexton converted and he also succeeded with a penalty. Scotland did not surrender, however, and struck back with tries from Huw Jones and Hamish Watson which were both converted by Stuart Hogg. That drew the scores level at 24-24 but a 77th minute penalty from Sexton sealed a memorable win for the Irish.

What they said

Although France are favourites to beat England in their encounter later on Saturday and, in doing so, securing the Six Nations title, Ireland are sure to push them all the way, although their captain, Sexton, knows they first have to get past the Scots.

“We definitely won’t be underestimating them. We know some of the big results that they’ve had over the last couple of years is away from home,” he said.

“They hadn’t a good record away from home and then in the last couple of years they’ve beaten France, they’ve beaten England. Wales as well. They’ve had some big scalps away from home.

“Scotland are a team to be reckoned with. I know they’ve no Championship to play for, but that’s when they can be the most dangerous because they’ve got nothing to lose.

“They’ll want to finish as high up the table as possible, but also any time you play a game, whether it’s a November international or a summer international, a Six Nations game that doesn’t have something riding on it, it’s very special.

“You’re still playing for your country. You’re still representing a lot. We’re preparing for their best performance and they’ve got some outstanding individuals.”

Meanwhile, Scotland centre Chris Harris knows his team have to put in a big display if they want beat their hosts on their own turf.

“They have been a quality side for a long time and to play them away from home is especially hard,” he said.

“It’s St Paddy’s weekend as well so the crowd will be up for it. It will be a pretty hostile environment, I would imagine. I have only played there once with a crowd but I remember it being pretty intense.

“But you have got to relish that and enjoy it. We are just looking at ourselves and how we improve that and go and impose that on them.

“I’m not too bothered what the outside think, with all due respect. We have just got to look within this group and believe what we have achieved in the past.

“I have never been to Ireland and won and it’s been a while so that’s in the back of your mind. It’s not going to be an easy game. Just because we have won a few away games doesn’t mean we just have to turn up.

“We have got to be on it for 80 minutes, we have got to be mentally switched on and really go after them and stick to the game-plan.”

Players to watch

If Ireland want to keep their Championship hopes alive, a victory is non-negotiable and to achieve that their half-back duo of captain Johnny Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park will be crucial to the cause. The Leinstermen have impressed up to now as the team’s directors with veteran Sexton still at the top of his game despite his advancing years and his playmaking skills could prove decisive. Meanwhile, Gibson-Park has cemented his spot in the team with some outstanding showings of late. Against England, he was rewarded with the official man-of-the-match award, with his decision making and crisp service to Sexton outstanding throughout. A repeat performance will be welcomed by Irish fans.

For Scotland, there will be plenty of pressure on Blair Kinghorn as he takes over as the starting fly-half from Finn Russell, who has been dropped to the bench after some inconsistent performances. Kinghorn has big boots to fill as Russell is one of the game’s best number pivots when he’s at his best but Townsend obviously has faith in the Edinburgh man’s capabilities. He has played most of his senior rugby as a full-back or on the wing, but only made the switch to fly-half last year, and although he is usually a confident player, he will have to be at his best from the outset as he is sure to be targeted for special attention from his opponents.

Joining Kinghorn as the only changes to Scotland’s starting line-up – after their Round Four triumph over Italy – is experienced second-row Jonny Gray, whose return from an ankle injury is a real boost for the visitors as it was initially feared that he would play no further part in the competition after he was sidelined last month. Solid in the lineouts and a tackling machine, Gray is the type of player who usually inspires his team-mates and that’s exactly what would be expected of him in this fixture.

Main head-to-head

Both teams boast outstanding attacking players throughout their ranks and although there are numerous mouth-watering duels across the park, the battle between the two openside flankers, Ireland’s Josh van der Flier and Hamish Watson of Scotland, is one which should set the pulses racing as both are vital cogs for their respective teams. Van der Flier was one of Ireland’s stars against England as he delivered an excellent all-round display with his ball carrying particularly outstanding. He’s also solid on defence and a menace at the breakdowns – all attributes which are also amongst Watson’s strengths. Last year’s Six Nations player of the tournament might not have reached those lofty heights in 2022 but he is still a very good player who will be keen to finish the tournament on a high with a polished performance.

Prediction

Although the Scots will give a good account of themselves and stay in the fight for long periods, they are up against a well drilled and clinical Irish outfit, who will ultimately prove too strong for their visitors. Ireland will win by eight points.

Previous results

2021: Ireland won 27-24 at Murrayfield
2020: Ireland won 31-16 in Dublin
2020: Ireland won 19-12 in Dublin
2019: Ireland won 27-3 in Yokohama
2019: Ireland won 22-13 at Murrayfield
2018: Ireland won 28-8 in Dublin
2017: Scotland won 27-22 at Murrayfield
2016: Ireland won 35-25 in Dublin

The teams

Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (c), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Caelan Doris, 5 Iain Henderson, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Cian Healy
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Kieran Treadwell, 20 Peter O’Mahony, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Robbie Henshaw

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg (c), 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Kyle Steyn, 10 Blair Kinghorn, 9 Ali Price, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Rory Darge, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Allan Dell, 18 WP Nel, 19 Sam Skinner, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Ben White, 22 Finn Russell, 23 Mark Bennett

Date: Saturday, March 19
Venue: Aviva Stadium
Kick-off: 16:45 GMT
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)

Features