IRELAND PRODUCE UP-TEMPO FINALE

Energetic display proves too good for Scotland as tournament ends in style

WE got what we predicted, rip-roaring entertainment in a seven-try spectacle decided by the three tries Ireland plundered on the two occasions Scotland had a player sinbinned.

The visitors had arrived in full battle-cry mode, revelling in their billing as European rugby’s coming team and full of desire to win a third game in a single championship for the first time in a decade and to win three championship games in succession for the first time since 1996.

In contrast to that new-found buoyancy, the Irish focus was on finding out whether last weekend’s try-feast against hapless Italy was credible evidence that all the shortcomings of their winless February were behind them and that there would not be a return to the bad habits that left them threatened with going down to ninth in the rankings for only the second time in the 13-year history of World Rugby’s convoluted pecking order.

That would have been quite a slide, given it was just last August when they occupied a record high of second, but their energetic effort here ensured it was the Scots, who arrived into round five as the tournament’s most disciplined team, who were left frustrated in becoming yet another team to lose away from home with just a six-day turnaround between matches.

Ireland’s blueprint for success was to make the tempo high and force the visitors into a lung-bursting succession of tackles. It worked a treat, the early penalty count at one stage weighted eight-one against the Scots.

By the interval, with Joe Schmidt’s side 21-13 clear, his pal Vern Cotter’s team had racked up a whopping 92 tackles to the hosts’ 24.

The tackling stats and the penalty count did eventually balance up, Scotland exerting more pressure in the second half with their backs to the wall on the scoreboard. But by then the important damage had been done, the 12 points conceded during John Barclay’s first-half sin-binning, which saw a one-point lead turn into an 11-point deficit, proving decisive in a game where the Irish back row can take many of the plaudits.

Their Scottish counterparts had been honing a reputation for nuisance, but they were out-played here by the Irish trio of CJ Stander, the recalled Tommy O’Donnell and a rejuvenated Jamie Heaslip, their industry providing Johnny Sexton the ball to play capably off.

The Irish orchestrator varied the play brightly, keeping his side going forward and tiring out the Scots in the process, and while his game finished slightly early with a yellow card, his refusal to go backwards was inspiring.

Ireland were full of tricks and dinks, the lead-up to the opening score, a sixth-minute penalty from the out-half, being illustrative of their imagination.

Conor Murray and Sexton effected wraparound plays with Simon Zebo and Robbie Henshaw respectively, and ruck offences were to become the story of the opening quarter, Sexton in total landing three kicks from four for a six-point advantage as Greig Laidlaw landed a kick back after Mike Ross erred.

Ireland looked very comfortable only to be sucker-punched after running ball across their 22 off a scrum and kicking clear to halfway. Stuart Hogg should never have been given incentive to run back but when he spotted Rory Best and Ross together in the advancing line, he threw a dummy and ghosted between the pair to go all the way to the line uninterrupted.

Laidlaw converted for the lead and suddenly a quarter that was Irishdominated was turned on its head.

Back came a stung Ireland, forcing three penalties in rapid succession, the second resulting in Barclay’s sin-binning.

All penalties were kicked to touch and reward was secured on 28 minutes, Stander delivering his best Superman impression, diving up and over some would-be tacklers for the try, awarded after a lengthy TMO review.

Sexton’s extras stretched the gap out to six, Duncan Weir pushed his restart out on the full and Ireland won a penalty at the halfway scrum that was the catalyst for a try similar to Italy’s slapstick carry-on the previous week in handing Andrew Trimble the opening try.

Here, Sexton’s kick plunged Hogg and Tommy Seymour into a fug of confusion, the ball bouncing off the unbalanced Seymour’s head to leave Earls free to run in and score with ease and while the conversion was missed, the Barclay yellow had yielded a rich dozen-point harvest.

Scotland did gain tiny retribution when restored to 15, winning a pair of penalties at rucks that cost Ireland three points from Laidlaw.

They then started the second half with much more possession, that momentum was lost when Hogg kicked away cheaply and the counter was only denied a try when Trimble’s inside pass went to Weir instead of Jared Payne near the line.

No matter. Stander and Heaslip both soon had defence-scattering rumbles before Murray dived in. Sexton’s conversion left it 28-13 with a half-hour to go, but Scotland weren’t done, Richie Gray racing in unopposed.

Eight points was now the gap but the Scots had only themselves to blame for not getting any closer, Alex Dunbar carded for his foolish manhandling of Sexton 12 minutes from time.

Devin Toner dived in for a try within a minute, the score prompting a fracas under the posts, and while Dunbar was to score in his return from the naughty step, it was Ireland’s evening.

Deservedly so.