Ireland 36 Scotland 14
On the eve of this game, ultimately there were quite a few factors which made it unfathomable as well as unthinkable that Scotland could send Ireland’s best Rugby World Cup side home before the knock-out stages.
Aside from eight wins in a row in this fixture and 16 on the spin against all-comers, this would be even more of a home match than the Boks’ game, never mind almost any at the Aviva. Ireland also had a two-week gap to regroup, and some Scottish players couldn’t help themselves from stoking up the palpable enmity between the two sides.
There was also the Peter O’Mahony factor and the sense that, for all of the above, Ireland were simply primed for a big one.
They were determined to demonstrate that they were superior than this curiously cocky Scottish team in every department. And the all-in scuffle after Ollie Smith slyly tripped Johnny Sexton early in the second half and the sledging and shoving that followed (with Scotland laughably trailing 26-0 down) only fuelled that desire.
World Cup knock-out stages
The precision of the opening James Lowe try off a four-phase attack from Hugo Keenan’s take, the brilliant Garry Ringrose taking Sexton’s short pass to make the incision for Mack Hansen to give the try-scoring pass, was an early statement. Somehow you knew already.
It was matched by the exquisite accuracy of the strike play form which Bundee Aki and Ringrose combined to put Keenan over. Then there were the close-in power plays for the tries by Iain Henderson and in the build-up to Keenan’s superb finish from Sexton’s looped pass when playing with house money.
The sight of a quintet of forward replacements being introduced simultaneously, and the roar which accompanied it, before emptying the bench before the 50m mark, was rubbing Scottish noses in it.
So was the ensuing try by Dan Sheehan after Jamison Gibson-Park, now on the wing, danced on the right edge before sweeping left to put Dan Sheehan over. So too was Ringrose, having switched from centre to right wing to left wing, gathering Jack Crowley’s delicious chip to catch on the full and score.
The lineout purred with a perfect 12 from 12, Iain Henderson calling little on himself while instead largely using the mobility, speed on the ground and athleticism of O’Mahony.
Conceding two tries — celebrated with odd gusto by the Scots considering Ireland had by then built an unassailable 36-0 lead — was an irritant, as was Finlay Bealham’s late finish being overruled. They’d have loved the nil part staying intact, or having the final say with a more fitting 43-14 scoreline.
Ireland made 202 tackles, the second-highest tally in any match at the world cup, forcing seven turnovers in defence. Nothing drew the lines in the sand more than the three defensive sets after Scotland thrice went to the corner in response to that opening Lowe try. Not an inch was conceded by two attempted drives, and as the 18-phase defensive set drove the Scots back 20m before a counter-ruck by Caelan Doris, which is becoming a feature of Ireland’s defence, led to an Ali Price fumble.
Game over after 14 minutes.
Actually, as Ireland stayed connected and comfortably defended on the edges, almost imploring Scotland to keep on throwing their punches, it was reminiscent of the real Ali taunting Foreman in Zaire. “Is that all you’ve got George?”
With that, Ireland sprang from the ropes and floored Scotland with a three-try, 21-point salvo in a 14-minute period before half-time. Bonus point in the bag.
It’s always striking how animated Andy Farrell becomes when celebrating a big defensive set and turnover, and he believes this part of their game has improved since the Grand Slam thanks to a first extended pre-season together.
“When we’re preparing for a normal competition, whether it be the Autumn Series or Six Nations, we have five sessions before we get into it. Our defence has always been strong but when you spend 15 or 16 weeks together, you’d expect every part of your game to get better, and it certainly has to keep doing that, to keep progressing in this competition. Everyone says it, all over the world, that defence wins World Cups, and it certainly won us the first half this week, that’s for sure.”
Reflecting on that pivotal 18-phase defensive set, Farrell added: “It’s tough at times because Scotland were threatening, throwing the ball around everywhere. I thought our systems were strong, our contacts were strong, and it’s a sickening blow when you’re attacking really well.
“We were able to keep them out and then at the other end of the field another seven points were on. It’s a tough one to take [for Scotland], but that’s what top-level rugby is all about and that’s something we’ve always strived for.
“That first half performance, not being perfect, is perfect as well; that we could roll with whatever was being thrown, and absorb it and strike at the right time. It was very pleasing.”
Outstanding individual performances abounded, be it Andrew Porter, Sheehan, Henderson, Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki (32 of his 34 metres were post-contact), Keenan and, it goes without saying and usually does, the conductor-in-chief Sexton, as well as each of O’Mahony and the ubiquitous Josh van der Flier and Doris.
The towering Doris had the most carries, 12 (for 65m) and the most tackles, 22, with van der Flier on 21.
“Yeah, Caelan was brilliant again, as he’s been for the last couple of years really,” said defence coach Simon Easterby, high praise indeed in that matter-of-fact way of his.
“He’s really grown and matured and for those guys around him as well, I think it was a real collective effort last night in the way we attacked, the way we defended.”
Indeed, watching Doris et al consistently bouncing to their feet and devouring the collective work ethic, that shone like anything on another warm night in Paris, the utter, unwavering belief this squad have in each other.
SCORING SEQUENCE — 2 mins: Lowe try, 5-0; 26: Keenan try, Sexton con, 12-0; 32: Henderson try, Sexton con, 19-0; 39: Keenan try, Sexton con 26-0; (half-time 26-0); 44: Sheehan try, 31-0; 58: Ringrose try, 36-0; 64: Ashman try, Russell con, 36-7; 66: Price try, Russell con, 36-14.
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Johnny Sexton (Leinster, capt), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Iain Henderson (Ulster); Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster).
Replacements: Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) for Hansen (22-32 mins & 35 mins); Conor Murray (Munster) for Lowe (40+1); Jack Crowley (Munster) for Sexton (45); Ronan Kelleher (Leinster) for Sheehan; Dave Kilcoyne (Munster) for Porter; Finlay Bealham (Connacht) for Furlong; James Ryan (Leinster) for Beirne; Jack Conan (Leinster) for O’Mahony (all 49).
SCOTLAND: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson; Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ollie Smith for Kinghorn (8 mins); Matt Fagerson for Ritchie (19); Scott Cummings for Gilchrist (45); George Horne for Graham (50); Rory Sutherland for Schoeman (53), Ewan Ashman for Turner (59), WP Nel for Z Fagerson (60), Luke Crosbie for Darge (65)
Yellow card: Ollie Smith (42 mins).
Referee: Nic Berry (Aus).
