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Match report<\/p>\n
Brendan Fanning is at the Aviva Stadium \u2013 and his report on a terrific encounter is live. I suggest you get it while it\u2019s hot.<\/p>\n
Thanks so much for following the action along with us here today. Enjoy the last two games of an action-packed Six Nations<\/a> responsibly.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Wells emails: \u201cStricken though I was as an England fan after the expectation, this match showed me how far we were from being contenders, although we have so many talented players.<\/p>\n \u201cFarrell A for England in future?\u201d<\/p>\n Ha! England may have to prise him out of some rigid green fingers, Michael. But yes, Ireland\u2019s head coach will probably find it easier than anyone else to support the nation he hails from this evening.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Wales v Italy is 20 minutes away from kick-off and it\u2019s a terrifically intriguing game. The maestro, Lee Calvert, is doing live updates already \u2013 countdown to the start with him.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So, what do Ireland need this evening in Paris? Their bonus-point win means any England victory gives Ireland the Six Nations<\/a> title; a France win obviously sees Les Bleus retain. A bonus-point draw still gives France the title \u2013 but a tied game with no try bonus does not. It\u2019s not going to be a draw though, is it. Is it?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIs that a first? No TMO involvement today,\u201d says Paul Butler via email. \u201cRespect to both teams for a fantastic game. Delighted for my team, Ireland. But Scotland … they are so dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes Paul. A well-officiated game is where you don\u2019t have to talk about the referee and the decisions \u2013 but credit to both teams, largely, who kept it tough but clean and didn\u2019t kick up a fuss at any point.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Brian O\u2019Driscoll thinks that was the best display of Ireland\u2019s Six Nations<\/a>, above the victory at Twickenham. \u201cBetter opposition,\u201d he assesses. Oof.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t a 43\u201321 game \u2013 it was right in the balance, nip and tuck, Ireland had a few blowout tries at the end to give the score [that lopsided view]. Scotland should be very proud.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Caelan Doris jokes that it\u2019s \u201ca rare day\u201d when an Irishman is cheering on England, but he won\u2019t be alone later.<\/p>\n The captain runs off to lift Ireland\u2019s 15th triple crown trophy.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Star performer? Tommy O\u2019Brien and Rob Baloucoune were wing superstars. Jamison Gibson-Park was everywhere. Tadhg Beirne, however \u2013 simply immense.<\/p>\n A word for Jack Crowley, too. Wasn\u2019t his kicking supposed to be a weakness? Not a bit of it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And exhale. There were times \u2013 at the start of the first half and then a bit further into the second half \u2013 where that was a real see-saw slugfest of attacking rugby. Scotland showed their skill. But Ireland were equal to it with some scintillating rugby of their own.<\/p>\n Around that, in the areas where we expected Ireland to be better, they were. Tenacious in defence. Dominant in the lineout. Scotland closed the gap, but Ireland just stretched it again \u2013 and in the finish they romped for the line. A 22-point margin.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>FULL TIME: Ireland 43-21 Scotland<\/p>\n Ireland claim the triple crown as they race away from Scotland at the end \u2013 the vintage green machine in action today.<\/p>\n Tadhg Beirne of Ireland celebrates at full time. Photograph: Lorraine O\u2019Sullivan\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.08 EDT<\/p>\n TRY! Ireland 43-21 Scotland (O’Brien)<\/p>\n Russell\u2019s pass to Tuipulotu but Scotland\u2019s captain fumbles the ball, Ireland pounce \u2013 McCloskey\u2019s perfect pass puts in O\u2019Brien, who races over. His second try of the afternoon.<\/p>\n O’Brien scores his Ireland’s sixth try. Photograph: Charles McQuillan\/Getty Images O’Brien celebrates with teammates. Photograph: Seb Daly\/Sportsfile\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.07 EDT<\/p>\n 79 min: Scotland have the ball but it\u2019s too late now, the crowd are in fine voice in Dublin. And now Ireland win possession and break \u2026!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 77 min: Ireland\u2019s lineout, the crowd are in party mode now. Gibson-Park goes off \u2013 terrific today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 75 min: Ireland fan out, defending with their heads as well as their hearts: nothing silly, grinding the clock down as much as anything. And they hold out! They celebrate like a try as Beirne gets his hands on the ball and the hosts earn a penalty.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.56 EDT<\/p>\n 74 min: Scotland rumble forward. They try to pick a hole in the Irish defence. They edge to the line. So far, so green \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a>PENALTY! Ireland 36-21 Scotland (Crowley)<\/p>\n No mistake: Jack Crowley deadeyes though the middle of the posts. Now Scotland need three scores \u2013 AKA a miracle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 72 min: An Ireland penalty \u2013 and now some sensible game management. Jack Crowley will look to kick the three.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 70 min: An Ireland penalty, Kyle Steyn catching Crowley. The clock is against Scotland now. And Ireland look to attack.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Ireland 33-21 Scotland (O’Brien)<\/p>\n Tommy O\u2019Brien finds a hole in the Scottish defence and does exactly what you\u2019d expect, sprinting over. Sublime Ciar\u00e1n Frawley pass to open that one up, after a powerful Aki run. Crowley\u2019s reliable boot adds the two points.<\/p>\n O’Brien scores after scoring a try for ireland. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.53 EDT<\/p>\n 66 min: Ireland have an all-new front row, but it\u2019s the irreplaceable Gibson-Park who kicks to test Scotland. Russell returns fire, Ireland catch it. To and fro at the moment.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 64 min: Nick Timoney, on for Van der Flier, carries the ball forwards. And now the changes are being rung by Andy Farrell. A load of them \u2013 including Bundee Aki. His first appearance in this Six Nations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 63 min: Scotland\u2019s scrum inside their own half. Can they come away with the ball? They can. The kick forward lands in Irish hands, however.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 62 min: Of course Ireland are back on the attack \u2013 this is an absolute slugfest, each side taking turns to wallop the other. But this time it\u2019s Scotland who get the turnover!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Ireland 26-21 Scotland (Darge)<\/p>\n Scotland\u2019s best try yet! This is some game \u2013 Grant Gilchrist with the mesmeric run and pass, and Rory Darge does the rest, sprinting over. Liquid rugby. Russell, again, is perfect from the tee.<\/p>\n Darge scores a try. Photograph: Lorraine O\u2019Sullivan\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.40 EDT<\/p>\n 58 min: More end-to-end rugby, Scotland are flinging the ball around, trying to find space! And they are testing Ireland \u2013 Russell is making it happen. Williamson has it. Kinghorn. Can Ireland shut them down?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Ireland 26-14 Scotland (Murray)<\/p>\n Darragh Murray – the new arrival \u2013 is the man who charges over the line, breaking the Scotland defence. Note: I just referred to him as \u201cthe replacement\u201d earlier when he came on for Beirne \u2026 and he took that personally. Sorry, Darragh. Crowley: converts. Bonus point: earned.<\/p>\n Murray scores a try. Photograph: Lorraine O\u2019Sullivan\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.39 EDT<\/p>\n 55 min: Up to phase 13 as Ireland edge towards Scotland\u2019s tryline, Gibson-Park the orchestrator. Is it going over?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 54 min: Can Ireland respond? They attack for the first time in this half. They\u2019re making gains as they show off their own passing game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>TRY! Ireland 19-14 Scotland (Russell)<\/p>\n An ice-cool Scotland move \u2013 they work it to Ben White, his sneaky pass finds Russell and he shows some snake hips, a dummy, dives over. Then Finn kicks the extras. Some player. A five-point game!<\/p>\n Russell scores their Scotland\u2019s second try. Photograph: Brian Lawless\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.35 EDT<\/p>\n 51 min: Scotland look to muscle through the Irish line: Ashman, Tuipulotu \u2026 can they force it over?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 50 min: Beirne has taken an accidental kick to the face and is bleeding. He\u2019s off, the replacement is on \u2013 Scotland tap and go. They\u2019re right on the Irish tryline here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 48 min: A penalty for Scotland \u2013 they kick for the corner. Now, can they pierce the Irish defence? They pass the ball around, showing patience.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.24 EDT<\/p>\n 47 min: Scotland and Ireland exchange possession untidily \u2013 until a lovely little run by Darcy Graham, showing dancers feet to spin past some Irish shirts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min: We\u2019re up to phase 12 \u2026 but Ireland grab it back! Tadhg Beirne, not for the first time, rips the ball back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min: Scotland get their passing game going, now they\u2019re moving it around a bit faster. Can they work an opening?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42 min: Ireland\u2019s scrum inside Scotland\u2019s half, Gibson-Park with ball in hand \u2013 we saw plenty of that in the first half. He gets them on their way again, but a handling error by Ireland. Doris let\u2019s it go. It gets a bit fiesty, some hearty shoves. Russell kicks to touch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.18 EDT<\/p>\n Second half<\/p>\n Finn Russell puts boot to ball, Ireland receive it. We\u2019re off again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So the big stat ITV conjure up is that Ireland are undefeated in their last 30 Six Nations<\/a> matches at home when leading at the break. Can Scotland defy history? The teams run back on to the pitch \u2013 a quick blast of Daft Punk.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.15 EDT<\/p>\n Scotland need to cut out the mistakes in the second half, that\u2019s a given. Too many turnovers. The visitors must make more of the ball when they do get it.<\/p>\n For Ireland? More of the same, but they will want to make their pressure count. This is still just a 12-point game as it stands. That, you don\u2019t need me to tell you, is a far from insurmountable lead.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So is it after the lord mayor\u2019s show for Scotland following that epic display against France? Impossible to reach the same levels again?<\/p>\n Maybe, but I don\u2019t think that gives enough credit to Ireland\u2019s performance in the first 40 mins. They didn\u2019t just overpower Scotland, they outplayed them, too.<\/p>\n The passing for Scotland\u2019s try was a delight but the move to put in Rob Baloucoune to dive over for try No 3 was equally breathless stuff.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>HALF-TIME: Ireland 19-7 Scotland<\/p>\n A green mountain for Scotland to climb in the second half. The whistle goes with the hosts largely in control.<\/p>\n The Irish team celebrate after a try. Photograph: Nick Elliott\/INPHO\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.17 EDT<\/p>\n 39 min: Huw Jones\u2019s short Russell goes awry, Sione Tuipulotu knocks it forward. Those little things are just going wrong for Scotland right now; they were going so right against France.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.00 EDT<\/p>\n 38 min: An Irish knock-on relieves the pressure. Scotland\u2019s scrum just inside their own half.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.57 EDT<\/p>\n 37 min: Ewan Ashman is down for treatment. He\u2019s a replacement himself, of course \u2026 but he\u2019s OK to play on. Ireland\u2019s ball. Scotland will want to get to half-time now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 min: A Grant Gilchrist hand stops a Tadhg Furlong pass. Ireland\u2019s lineout. Stuart McCloskey breaks through the Scotland’ ranks, he\u2019s been a real threat.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 min: Ireland spread play from the scrum but it breaks free, a handling error and Scotland look to pounce \u2013 Kinghorn is almost through with nothing between him and the tryline! Josh van der Flier is there, however, to make a big last-ditch tackle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.52 EDT<\/p>\n 33 min: Kinghorn wins possession back and Scotland look to spread play \u2013 but a forward pass from Jack Dempsey undoes their passing game before it can really get started. Just not clicking at the moment for Scotland.<\/p>\n