Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TRIPLE OF APPLAUSE
Jubilant Aviva crowd salutes its Crown heroes
EVENTS in Paris ensured there wasn’t the magical end to Super Saturday that Ireland wanted but there was still plenty to celebrate at the Aviva Stadium.
Ireland did their bit by beating Scotland in their final championship game to make it four wins from five but that loss last month in the Stade de France cost them a Six Nations title.
Still, Andy Farrell’s men finished the tournament on a high, with victories against England and the Scots, by finishing as the top attack and most effective defence of the campaign.
And they also clinched a first Triple Crown in four years – and the first secured at home since 2004.
A really promising stepping stone, even if it was a hot and cold performance yesterday.
“It was a proper Test match because Scotland brought their own intensity to it but we ground out a brilliant win in the end,” said Farrell.
“We’ve shown we can play some really good rugby and scored quite a few tries. But we have also shown that we have got some grit and some nerve to stay calm and take the game right to the death and get the bonus-point win.
“We’re disappointed not to be in with a chance of winning a Grand Slam but we dusted ourselves off after the disappointment in Paris and got back on the horse and that’s all you can ask for.
“Three bonus-point wins on the trot is some achievement.”
After their Twickenham victory, the last piece in the puzzle was to beat Scotland for the fifth year running.
The scene was set as regular Scots out-half Finn Russell – one of six disciplined for a bar visit last weekend – was demoted to the bench.
And, with Josh van der Flier’s try, Ireland sealed the deal on the hour to secure the first trophy of Andy Farrell’s reign.
Perhaps nerves played a part as the hosts were on the back foot early on as the Scots found gaps left and right across the pitch but Gregor Townsend’s men couldn’t convert. And it was a sweeping move instigated by Tadhg Furlong that opened the door.
Johnny Sexton kicked a penalty to the corner and hooker Dan Sheehan scored the opening try in the 17th minute. Sexton added the extras.
It was also off lineout ball that Ireland scored their second try in the 28th minute, with Cian Healy burrowing over on his 116th appearance in green.
The visitors grabbed a lifeline five minutes from half-time when Pierre Schoeman finished a patient attacking move.
Blair Kinghorn, who replaced Russell, missed the conversion and his side were 14-5 adrift at the break.
Ireland played some scintillating stuff after the restart but, crucially, Hugo Keenan denied Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg a try in the 49th minute by putting him in touch.
In keeping with the trend, Ireland failed to convert off two lineouts deep in their rivals’ territory. But then they killed the contest in the 60th minute.
Jamison Gibson-Park injected pace into the attack and Ireland fed off that, with the scrum-half passing to van der Flier to power over and Sexton’s conversion made it 21-5.
Russell was sent on at outside centre in the last quarter but the loudest roar of the day greeted replacement Conor Murray’s 79th minute try after Scotland’s Ben White was yellow carded.
While far from perfect, Ireland can look forward to their summer tour of New Zealand with confidence but, for Townsend and the Scots, it is back to the drawing board.
“It’s massive,” said Farrell about the tour ahead. “It’s the perfect opportunity that we need.
“We’ve talked time and time again about the lack of touring, it’s priceless. It looks like we’re able to take a slightly bigger group which is great.
“There’s people that’s already had a sniff, some people that’s not had a game but we want to see them under pressure and going to New Zealand there will be no pressure like it.”
IRELAND: Tries: Sheehan, Healy, van der Flier, Murray; Cons:
Sexton 3.
SCOTLAND: Try: Schoeman.