IRELAND V SCOTLAND: HOW BALANCE OF POWER SHIFTED TO THE IRISH
Of all the intertwining rivalries that make rugby’s Six Nations such a unique and compelling event, the one between Celtic cousins Scotland and Ireland has always been marked by a mix of friendliness and bonhomie off the pitch and fierce competition on it. The overall record between the two nations since the first meeting in Belfast 1877 (a six goals to nil win for the Scots) is: Played 135, Scotland won 66, Ireland won 64 and five draws. The Scots may hold the winning record but Ireland edge it on points by 1,574 to 1,431.
As the two nations prepare to lock horns for the 136th time in Dublin tomorrow on the opening weekend of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations, we look back on the past three decades, which marked a dramatic shift of power from a decade of dark blue dominance to two of emerald green ascendancy, and some of the classic games between the two countries along the way.
3 FEBRUARY 1990 (LANSDOWNE ROAD) IRELAND 10-13 SCOTLAND
1990 stands totem-like as the most famous year in Scottish rugby due to the iconic Grand Slam-sealing win over England at Murrayfield. That eventual legendary triumph got off to a precarious start in the first round of the Five Nations, however, as the Scots trailed 7-0 at half-time before a brace of tries from Derek White and Craig Chalmers’ boot scraped a hard-fought win. The rest is history.
1 MARCH 1997 (MURRAYFIELD)
SCOTLAND 38-10 IRELAND
Alan Victor Tait made his comeback to the union code from rugby league for what was only his ninth Scotland cap and masterminded a thumping win, scoring the first try of five, that rescued a championship which had got off to a bad start with defeats by England and Wales. “It won the Famous Grouse ‘Try of the Season’ award and I got £1,000 for it,” recalled Tait, who would go on to star in the legendary British
Alan Tait scored the first try in a 38-10 home win in 1997.
and Irish Lions series win in South Africa. “I said I’d share the money with the forwards but I never did give them any!”
22 SEPTEMBER 2001 (MURRAYFIELD) SCOTLAND 32-10 IRELAND
A bit of a collectors’ piece anomaly this one. The Six Nations of that year was halted due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak earlier in the year. Two rounds remained and had to be rescheduled. The Irish were three from three and contemplating the prospect of their first Grand Slam since 1948, with England at home last up. But a Gregor Townsend-inspired Scotland left them flat-footed and mouths-closed. Tom Smith, Budge Pountney, John Leslie and Andy Henderson were the tryscorers in the rout.
12 FEBRUARY 2005 (MURRAYFIELD)
SCOTLAND 13-40 IRELAND
The deflating Matt Williams era was dealt a fatal blow by this absolute hiding by a rampant Irish team. Hugo Southwell’s try had actually helped the Scots to an early 8-0 lead but scores from locks Malcolm O’kelly and Paul O’connell put the visitors in command by half-time and the wheels fell of as a third try from wing Denis Hickie and a third penalty from Ronan O’gara, who kicked 13 points, put the game to bed.
20 MARCH 2010 (CROKE PARK) IRELAND 20-23 SCOTLAND
The Scots’ last win in the Irish capital was at the home of Gaelic games, where Ireland made their home for a couple of years as Lansdowne Road was being transformed into the Aviva Stadium. Johnnie Beattie scored a cracking try and remains the last Scot to touch down in a No 8 jersey but the day belonged to Dan Parks, who enjoyed his finest hour in a Scotland jersey. The often criticised standoff played a blinder, pulled the strings and engineered a last-kick penalty which he slotted from the touchline with ice-cool brilliance, raising his hands aloft long before the ball went through the sticks.
21 MARCH 2015 (MURRAYFIELD) SCOTLAND 10-40 IRELAND
Another 40-point shocker which condemned the Scots to a Wooden Spoon in Vern Cotter’s first Six Nations as coach. The Kiwi felt some heat but managed to revive the team into the World Cup in England that year and beyond. The Irish got the result they needed to retain their Six Nations title and their fans waited and turned Murrayfield into a corner Temple Bar as England’s 55-35 win over France fell short of surpassing them on a crazy final Saturday. Finn Russell scored Scotland’s only try.
22 SEPTEMBER 2019 (YOKOHAMA) IRELAND 27-3 SCOTLAND
The Irish battered Scotland into a humbling defeat which punctured their Japan World Cup hopes from the get-go in this one-sided Pool A opener. James Ryan and Rory Best put the cruise-control Irish 12-0 ahead after 15 minutes. Greig Laidlaw got the Scots on the board with a penalty but that was as good as it got for a chastened Scotland team, who leaked more tries from Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Conway.
Duncan Smith