Ireland land silverware
26 Scotland 5
IRELAND celebrated championship silverware on home soil for the first time in 19 years with a Triple Crown success.
France put paid to Ireland’s Grand Slam ambitions in Paris last month – but after their Twickenham victory the last piece in the puzzle was to beat Scotland for the fifth year running.
Perhaps nerves played a part as the hosts were on the back foot early on as the Scots found gaps right across the pitch.
The hosts finally threatened through scrum-half Jamison Gibson-park, whose solo break and chip had Stuart Hogg gathering over his own try-line. Hogg shrugged off the Kiwi’s challenge to clear.
A superb 50:22 by Johnny Sexton (right) presented Ireland with a line-out five metres out but Van der Flier was held up over the Scots’ line.
However Ireland were finding their rhythm and a sweeping move instigated by Tadhg Furlong saw them seize the initiative again.
Sexton kicked a penalty to the corner and hooker Dan Sheehan powered over for the game’s first try with 17 minutes on the clock. Sexton added the extras.
The veteran captain needed treatment soon after, but he continued and his kick-in behind had the Scottish defence in trouble again.
And it was from the line-out ball that Ireland scored their second try in the 28th minute, with prop Cian Healy burrowing over on his 116th appearance in green. The visitors had to find a lifeline and, five minutes from the break, they got it when Pierre Schoeman stretched for the line to finish a strong attacking move.
Blair Kinghorn, who replaced Finn Russell – one of six Scots disciplined for a bar visit – missed the conversion and his side were 14-5 adrift at the break.
Ireland made a thrilling start to the second half but their first couple of forays came to nothing.
At the other end, fullback Hugo Keenan pulled off an important try-saving tackle by putting Hogg in touch. But the Scotland skipper had his two centres free inside – a real chance blown.
In keeping with the trend, Ireland failed to convert off two line-outs.
Then they killed the contest in the 60th minute. Gibson-park injected pace into the attack and Ireland fed off that, with the scrum-half passing to Josh 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 Conor Murray’s 79th minute try after Scotland’s Ben White was yellow carded.
Skipper Johnny Sexton said: “We are so happy to get over the line for the bonus point. We weren’t perfect but just did enough. Five points is what we wanted. We have to keep working hard.”