Hello, rugby fans. As we type George North has dived over to complete his hat-trick to give Wales a 13 – 42 lead over Italy. There are still 20 minutes to go in that game, so follow all the updates live here, or stay here and hold eachother tight.

We’ll be positive when full-time comes or Italy stop conceding tries.

If you’re keeping an eye on the Wales Italy game, it’s not pleasant viewing for Ireland fans.

It’s 13 – 54 with nine minutes still on the clock.

Right, the teams are in the tunnel and we now know what Ireland need to do in Murrayfield. Beat Scotland by 21 points and that will be enough to knock Wales off their perch.

Only England to worry about after that.

Here’s the table, then. And here we go.

KICK-OFF.

Excellent break from deep from Ireland, Henshaw steaming towards the corner before the Scots’ scramble D does well to wrap him up.

Scotaland are well set. But Murray has controlled the phases.

We go right and

TRY! Scotland 0 Ireland 5 (Paul O’Connell ’4)

Leading from the front as ever. The captain picks up at the base and drives over the line.

Sexton adds the extras (thanks to the paint thinners on the post) and Ireland are alive in this Championship chase.

Scotland 0 Ireland 7

Ireland look like a different team up until a seventh minute box kick. Sexton and Murray’s first thought up to this point has been to look left and look wide.

Luke Fitzgerald has started brightly, a nice break down his wing before trying to force an offload that went to ground.

PENALTY. Scotland 0 Ireland 10 (Sexton ’10)

Scotland are pinged for collapsing a maul and Ireland have a commanding lead thanks to a sweetly struck Sexton pen.

Another hint of attacking from deep, but another moment of uncertainty from Fitzgerald. Henshaw grubbered in behind the defensive line. Luke had space to pick up the ball, but hacking it on looked like the more sensible call.

It’s easy from here, of course. Fitzgerald did chip on after gathering and Bowe mounted a solid chase.

Magnificent breakdown work from Jamie Heaslip in over the ball in his own 22 to win a turnover and allow a clearance kick.

The kick is long though and Hogg is allowed counter to set up another attack.

Rory Best pinged for not rolling and Laidlaw can open the scoring here.

PENALTY! Scotland 3 Ireland 10 (Laidlaw ’17)

Whoa! Jared Payne gives us all a fright as he forces Garces to blow up the restart for taking the man in the air.

No red card from the Frenchman this time, but another poor restart from Ireland.

That set of phases brought to a screeching halt by a superb effort by Rory Best to force the carrier to hold on under pressure.

Ireland are thrilling to watch again. Sexton tempts the Scottish line up, but fast hands from him and Payne bring the green shirts flowing into space out wide. A fine offload by Fitzgerald finds Henshaw, but the Connacht centre’s ankle is dragged into touch.

TRY! Scotland 3 Ireland 17 (Sean O’Brien ’24)

Sexton adds the extras after Ireland unveil a perfectly executed line-out powerplay with the Tullow Tank taking a pass from Toner to cut into space and over the try-line.

BOOM! Paul O’Connell makes yards after the tackle, so you know Ireland are rolling.

Off goes Sean O’Brien. He looked like he was wrapped up, but he wriggles clear and lumbers forward. The Tank is caught and Ireland’s support isn’t as clinical as it might be. Tommy Bowe takes the ball on and attempts to recycle the ball through the air and the it’s stolen. Chance lost, but this is exciting stuff.

*cough, cough”

TRY! Scotland 10 Ireland 17 (Finn Russell ’30)

Another twist in this dramatic day as Finn Russell sneaks into the corner after Tommy Seymour sets up field positions with a break.

Ireland’s advantage is back down to seven after the scramble defence failed to recover in time to prevent the overlap on the short side.

How are the nerves?

No room to catch a breath. Healy forces a scrum penalty inside the host’s half and Sexton sweeps it in from about 45 metres on the angle from the left side of the field.

PENALTY: Scotland 10 Ireland 20

Scotland are on the attack, eating up valuable time and possibly points.

PHEW! Scotland are lovely to watch at times and Finn Russell ends the half by dinking over the blitz defence into the hands of Matt Scott.

Fortunately, he can only fling his offload forward rather than connecting with Hogg in support.

HALF-TIME Scotland 10 Ireland 20

Well, that was a first half of equal parts elation and distress. The important thing is that we’re 10 points up and playing quite well in Edinburgh.

An 11-point victory in the second half would edge Wales off the top of the table, but then we’ll be waiting on England.

Some of us were really enjoying the tuba solos, Tommy.

Buckle up, we’re under way for another frenetic 40 minutes in Murrayfield.

Can Ireland overhaul Wales and give England a mountain to climb. Our crossed fingers are touching wood.

Kearney off in chase of a Sexton kick, but neither he nor the defenders can stop it bouncing. Henshaw can, and he trucks the ball over the gainline to set Ireland on the right path.

The attack ends up fruitless as Denton forces a turnover. But after the kick misses touch, the back row is pinged for going off his feet in midfield and we’re mauling in the 22.

PENALTY! Scotland 10 Ireland 23 (Sexton ’45)

After Scotland withstand over 10 phases of pick and gos, the penalty comes in front of the posts and Paulie opts to stretch the lead.

Here comes the cavalry. Mike Ross puts his jacket on and Marty Moore is in the game. We could have an enforced change in store too as Conor Murray is given some heavy strapping on his wrist.

Marty Moore is doing the scrum absolutely no harm at all. A free kick and a penalty off the set piece in quick succession and Sexton kicks the green machine back into opposition territory.

TRY! Scotland 10 Ireland 30 (Jared Payne ’49)

Gorgeous reverse pass from Sexton to send Jared Payne in under the posts to claim his first international try. It couldn’t really have come at a better time.

Ireland are rocking now. Not quite as free flowing as Wales were in Rome, but much tougher opposition. The pressure forces a penalty on the 22 line and Sexton can kick Ireland to the top of the Championship (as it stands ) table.

No, Johnny. NO no no… OFF THE POST.

Peter O’Mahony is a man possessed today. Stunning carries from the Munster captain.

SIN-BIN! Geoff Cross is off for a cool-down period for hands in the ruck.

Ireland have a man advantage.

Sexton has pushed another one off target, this one much tougher than the last opportunity, but Ireland still agonisingly close to a lead.

Tommy Bowwwww…. no. The Ulster wing can’t keep his feet after regathering the ball in the air. He attempts to pass it back inside, but there are enough navy jerseys to take the ball back.

This is unbearable. Can Ireland just get on the line.

With Euan Murray injured and Geoff Cross binned, we’re at uncontested scrums. You know it’s an epic when that happens.

Another penalty. Come on Sexton now, get it together.

PENALTY! Scotland 10 Ireland 33 (Sexton ’61)

He’s done it. Ireland lead the Six Nations. Now to consolidate that position.

Big Iain Henderson is in the game. Sean Cronin too. But it’s Scotland’s turn to attack. Can Ireland hold them off?

Trojan work from Henderson in the defensive line pushed Scotland back on their heels after a handful of pick and drive phases. Then a knock-on gives Ireland the ball back at this uncontested scrum.

As the sin-bin period runs out, Ireland win a turnover and Murray releases a lovely end over end kick into the Scottish 22.

To nit-pick, Ireland’s sin-bin advantage was again poor, only winning  3 – 0.

Sexton follows up Murray’s kick with a touchfinder in the 22 of his own. 13 minutes to go and we’re just trying to turn the screw to rack up some more valuable points while not leaving the back door open for VC.

And another kick to the 22. The bounce taking the ball on out of play at the five rather than back into T-Bowe’s hands.

Clear eyes, full hearts. CAN’T LOSE.

Ireland playing very conservatively now, in cricket terms they’re ready to declare, trying to force errors rather than risk giving anything cheap away on a turnover or intercept.

Cronin goes to the front. Paulie wants to Maul this. Scotland it defend well, but Murray spins it wide for Henshaw and then Sean O’Brien at full stretch.

TRY! Scotland 10 Ireland 40 (Sean O’Brien)

40 is a superb total for Ireland to rack up away from home. Sean O’Brien bows out of the tournament to a well-deserved round of applause. He’s been excellent today, a performance underlined by two vital tries.

England now need to beat France by 26 points.

TMO. Stuart Hogg looks like he has claimed a late score, but did he ground it?

NO TRY! Jamie Heaslip with a try-saving tackle on Stuart Hogg!

Sean O’Brien named man of the match by BBC. A gargantuan performance.

Penalty on half way. Joe Schmidt is on the radio calling for one last play from the line-out.

One more try. One more try…

Penalty off the maul. O’Connell points for the posts. Ireland have now officially declared.

FULL-TIME: Scotland 10 Ireland 40

Madigan shanks the last penalty wide, but Ireland have opened up a 26-point Championship lead over England.

Your move, Lancaster.

Thanks for joining in the drama, folks. We’ll have all the reaction and opinion from Murrayfield (before and after England’s game) coming up on The42 this evening.

Allez Les Bleus.