DUBBLE TROUBLE
Recovery the name of the game as Joey and Ireland get back on track
JOEY CARBERY went from zero to hero to get Ireland over the line at Murrayfield but there are fears for star No.10 Johnny Sexton.
Ireland claimed a 22-13 victory over Scotland yesterday after going down
REDEMPTION for Ireland and for Joey Carbery as bad starts were forgotten and a crucial victory secured in Murrayfield.
Bullied and beaten at home by England a week earlier, the visitors fired back in Edinburgh to revive hopes of retaining the Six Nations title.
It’s a win that also lays down a psychological marker ahead of the sides’ collision in a World Cup pool encounter in September.
After Johnny Sexton failed a HIA after coming off in the 23rd minute when he was accidentally stamped on by a team-mate – and having been the hit hard time and again by the Scots – the spotlight was on his understudy Joey Carbery to deliver. And he did. Eventually. Ireland were leading 12-3 when the 23-year-old appeared but, only moments later, he flung a pass that Finn Russell intercepted in midfield.
Keith Earls prevented the Racing 92 star from scoring but as Carbery ball-watched, Russell off-loaded to Sam Johnson to run in his first Scotland try and Greig Laidlaw converted.
Magnificent defence got the visitors to half-time with a twopoint advantage. But Munster No.10 didn’t wilt and, looking far more settled when the sides re- emerged, he engineered the match-winning try in the 57th minute (above).
An angled run by Rob Kearney on his return started the move as Carbery seized the moment.
On the back foot as he took possession, he found a gap and charged through midfield.
Realising that he wasn’t going to make the try line, he checked his run and floated a perfect pass for clubmate Earls to score.
Carbery nailed the conversion and his penalty kick eight minutes from time kept the Scots comfortably at arm’s length as the visitors picked up a necessary victory after losing at home in the Six Nations for the first time under Joe Schmidt.
The Ireland boss had changed a third of his side, with four enforced through injury.
But with Kearney restored to full-back, Conor Murray back to his normal self and Sean O’brien and Peter O’mahony playing pack leadership roles, Ireland muddled through.
As well as scoring a try apiece, Earls and Jacob Stockdale made key defensive interventions – and with fifth-choice Quinn Roux solid in calling the lineout in his first Six Nations start, the set-piece was strong.
The Scots also lost their best player Stuart Hogg to a shoulder injury in the opening quarter – a massive blow to the hosts, as was the nightmare first try they coughed up.
Ireland were intent on avoiding another slow start but Greig Laidlaw’s penalty gave Scotland a seventh minute lead.
Sexton’s restart put his side into their opponents’ half for the first time and, as the Scots looked for a penalty when Hogg was blocked as he chipped ahead, Ireland’s swift counterattack yielded the opening try.
Stockdale couldn’t get after his own kick but, chased down by Murray and Earls, Tommy Seymour made a mess of his pass to Sean Maitland, who fumbled.
A grateful Murray swept over, but Sexton, having received treatment, missed the conversion.
Blair Kinghorn replaced Hogg but as the Scots sorted out in the back three, Stockdale sprinted through a large gap and under the posts.
In a brilliant move, O’mahony combined with Sexton before the out-half released Stockdale with an inside pass – milli-seconds before a Jamie Ritchie hit.
Murray made it 12-10 before Sexton came off for Carbery.
Laidlaw’s try conversion cut the deficit to two and after Rory Best denied Stuart Mcinally a try it took brave, disciplined defence to shut the Scots out through 25 phases before half-time. Carbery finally caught fire as he created Earls’ try and converted it, but Laidlaw made it a sixpoint game with 15 to go when Bundee Aki was penalised.
Irekand stayed patient and were safe when Carbery’s penalty made it 22-13. IRELAND: Tries: Murray, Stockdale, Earls Cons: Murray, Carbery Pen: Carbery SCOTLAND: Try: Johnson Con: Laidlaw Pens: Laidlaw 2