Murray Kinsella Reports from Murrayfield

Scotland 7

Ireland 22

IRELAND HAVE DONE some special things under Andy Farrell but this is right up there.

The Grand Slam is still on as Ireland came through the ultimate test of their composure in the face of adversity at Murrayfield.

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

A weaker side would have collapsed after losing three key forwards to injury in the opening 25 minutes, then seeing their replacement hooker forced off early in the second half. Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan, Iain Henderson, and Rónan Kelleher all limped off. Ireland also lost centre Garry Ringrose to a nasty head injury in the closing stages as the carnage never let up. It was a cruel end to Ringrose’s 50th cap.

With the game in the balance, Ireland had tireless flanker Josh van der Flier throwing into lineouts for the entire second 40 minutes and loosehead prop Cian Healy scrummaging at hooker. Bizarre sights but both men did their new jobs superbly. Van der Flier hit his targets and Healy helped Ireland to a series of savage scrum penalties.

Despite all of the adversity, Ireland produced some stunning rugby in the closing half an hour to finish over the top of the Scots and keep their Grand Slam dream alive.

Farrell’s men can seal it back in Dublin next Saturday by beating beleaguered England. What an occasion that promises to be on St Patrick’s weekend. Ireland are favourites to get the job done.

They may have to do it without all of those key men lost to injury today. How cruel it will be if they are denied the chance to clinch a Grand Slam on home soil.

Even without them, Farrell’s side found a way today in Edinburgh. The outstanding Mack Hansen’s brilliant first-half finish allowed them to lead 8-7 after a helter-skelter first half that simply never let up.

The opening 10 minutes of the second half were sickeningly tense but then Ireland found another gear to pull away, as they tend to do. James Lowe and replacement back row Jack Conan dotted down, while Johnny Sexton equalled Ronan O’Gara’s record of 557 Six Nations points for Ireland.

Equally as pleasing for Ireland will be the fact that they conceded only one score to a dangerous Scottish attack that created a first-half try for centre Huw Jones but was stifled impressively in the second.

Make no mistake, this was phenomenal stuff from Ireland despite the incredible spate of injuries. 

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

It was frenetic from the very off and the Scots were lucky not to be trailing after just six minutes. They botched a lineout just inside their half, throwing directly to James Ryan on the ground, and Sexton rolled a clever grubber into touch five metres out on the left. 

Rather than calming things, hooker George Turner then launched a quick throw straight to Doris, who read the play superbly. He was stopped just short but Ireland muscled over two phases later. It looked like an Irish try but the only problem was that Turner has used a new ball for the quick lineout. 

Rugby’s law book saved him and the score was chalked off. Ireland continued to probe with their kicking game and Lowe forced Hogg into touch close to his own line after a smart grubber from Ringrose. The ensuing attack yielded three points for Ireland as Scotland edged offside and Sexton opted to kick the penalty. 

That was Doris’ day, though, as he couldn’t recover from the heavy blow he took in the non-try incident. Jack Conan joined the fray. 

Scotland flooded back at Ireland in ominous fashion and the visitors needed a strong tackle from Sexton and Ryan to force Hogg into touch. The respite lasted only two minutes, however, with the hosts coming back at Ireland in impressive fashion. 

Russell darted and offload to van der Merwe down the left for the key momentum, then with penalty advantage playing, Sione Tuipulotu popped a front-door pass to centre partner Jones, who finished past Ringrose. Russell converted for 7-3.

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

That’s where Sheehan had to trudge off injured, with Kelleher sent on in the 19th minute.

Ireland grabbed back the seesawing momentum when Jack Dempsey’s pass went loose, allowing the influential O’Mahony and then Sexton to hack the ball down into the Scottish 22, where Kyle Steyn just beat Ringrose in the race to gather. Injury struck again as lock Henderson was forced off, Ryan Baird on with 25 minutes played.

Rather than being rocked by the succession of injuries, Ireland manufactured a brilliant try.

Sexton straightened to carry strongly in the Scottish 22 and then Baird swept a clean pass out the back to Ringrose, who fed it onto Keenan and the fullback delivered a stunning pass to Hansen wide on the right. The Connacht man had plenty to do but finished dexterously past van der Merwe. The TMO confirmed the try before Sexton was wide with the conversion attempt amidst booing from the home crowd.

There was still time for lots more drama before the break. Ireland needed a massive try-saving tackle from the ever reliable Hugo Keenan on van der Merwe just metres out after he scythed through on a sharp Scottish lineout play. Lowe and van der Flier pounced over Keenan’s tackle to win a crucial turnover.

The Scots should have been down to 14 men two minutes later. Aki’s brilliant late pass allowed Conan to break and he offloaded to Lowe, who shifted it to Ringrose entering the Scottish 22. On the next phase, Furlong tipped a pass on to Ryan, then Aki went very close to scoring.

Hogg cynically played scrum-half Murray while off his feet to deny the next scoring chance. It was a stonewall yellow but for some reason, referee Luke Pearce opted for a penalty only and even warned Ireland against appealing for a yellow. It was hard to get your head around that one.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Scotland stole the subsequent five-metre lineout and were swiftly down the other end threatening again with the clock in the red. Again, Keenan made a brilliant tackle on Hogg wide on Ireland’s right before Lowe powerfully smashed Turner into touch to signal half time.

Finally, we got a chance to breath. Ireland were 8-7 ahead.

They needed a composed start to the second half but the otherwise excellent Andrew Porter – who played the full 80 – knocked on as they attacked in the Scottish half, then Sexton was stripped of possession in the Irish half.

We also now had the remarkable sight of van der Flier throwing into the Irish lineout, with Kelleher having suffered an injury late in the first half. He tried to play on but had to go in the 49th minute as Healy was sent on.

A minute later, we had the first scrum and they remained contested as Healy slotted in at hooker. Ireland gave up a free-kick though before it had even properly set. At the next one, though, Ireland marched the Scots backwards even after they sent in their bench props. With Healy at hooker, Ireland’s depleted pack won a huge scrum penalty.

With van der Flier throwing accurately into the lineout – we should have known he practises this skill! – Ireland had momentum back now. Jamison Gibson Park, just on for Murray, launched a kick into the Scottish 22 and Hansen brilliantly won it back in the air.

Scotland gave up the penalty advantage, infringing twice, but Ireland kept their foot on the throat as their forwards ground through close-range carries until space beckoned on the left and the impactful Gibson-Park floated a pass to Lowe, who finished in the left corner.

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Sexton’s conversion from out wide was superb and Ireland led 15-7 heading into the last quarter.

They gave themselves even more breathing room with another sensational attack. This time, Lowe carried off a lineout before the entire front row of Healy, Andrew Porter, and Tadhg Furlong carried.

Gibson-Park swept the ball to Hansen at first receiver and his footwork sat the Scottish defence down before he swung a peach of a pass from left to right for Conan to dot down. Sexton converted again to equal O’Gara’s tally.

There was a long delay as Ringrose received attention on the pitch after his head smashed into Blair Kinghorn’s hip while he tackled him. It was a horrible blow and there was major concern for Ringrose, who was at least able to give a thumbs up as he was stretchered off.

When we got back underway, Ireland nearly grabbed a bonus point in sublime fashion as Lowe released Gibson-Park down the left and he threw a wonderous long pass back inside to Ryan. The lock attempted to offload out of Steyn’s tackle to Lowe but it agonisingly flew forward to ground. That was that.

The injury toll has been almighty but Ireland are one win away from a Grand Slam. 

Scotland scorers:

Tries: Huw Jones

Conversions: Finn Russell [1 from 1]

Ireland scorers:

Tries: Mack Hansen, James Lowe, Jack Conan

Conversions: Johnny Sexton [2 from 3]

Penalties: Johnny Sexton [1 from 1] 

SCOTLAND: Stuart Hogg (Blair Kinghorn ’65); Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ben White (Ali Price ’59); Pierre Schoeman (Jamie Bhatti ’54), George Turner (Fraser Brown ’59), Zander Fagerson (Simon Berghan ’54); Richie Gray (Scott Cummings ’6), Jonny Gray; Matt Fagerson (Hamish Watson ’67), Jamie Ritchie (captain), Jack Dempsey.