Wrap up: Scotland were atrocious and Ireland nearly gave them the win. The trys Ireland scored were soft, and they should of ran in far more, especially when Scotland were down to 14. Towards the end of the game, they let Scotland back through their own ineptitude and indiscipline. Ireland gave away 13 penalties today. Play a team better than Scotland and they’ll be hammered.
Substitute Jonny Sexton boots the ball out of play and the referee blows his whistle. Ireland win but that was awful.
Brilliant take from O’Connell from a Scottish lineout might have save Ireland’s bacon. Gives the scots a taste over their own medicine.
Scotland win a lineout and push towards the Irish 22. It has been a long time since the ball was in the Scottish half.
Ireland are hanging on at the moment and are making a lot of mistakes. It has been a desperately bad final quarter of the game. I think it’s safe to say that the triple crown is a rather unrealistic aim judging by this performance.
Scotland drive forward, and Ireland give away a penalty. Scotland play advantage and Dan Parks pops over a drop goal. Only a penalty between the two teams now. I’m struggling to see how.
Substitute Dan Parks pop the ball over. Only a try in it now. Ireland only have themselves to blame. Next Irishman to foul will end up in the bin.
The score in the Carling Cup final between Arsenal and Birmingham, by the way, is 0-0. Liverpool lost 3-1 to West Ham and Celtic lost to Motherwell. Ireland give away another penalty, this time for an infringement in a maul. The referee wanrs Ireland about their discipline.
Jamie Heaslip gives away a penalty for coming off his feet while trying to play the ball in the ruck. Patterson taps over what seems to be the six millionth penalty Ireland have given away today. George Hook called them masochistic earlier.
With the 14 man Scots hanging on for grim life, an Ireland try was inevitable. O’Gara is the man who makes the breakthrough, making his kick easier for himself by going in directly under the posts. He converts for his 998th point in the history of the Six Nations.
Try Ireland
Ireland should’ve scored a try after some intense pressure. Sean O’Brien especially causing the Scots all sorts of pressure. Donal Lenihan in RTE calls him a one man wrecking machine. Ireland give away a penalty in great position again, however. Ireland could and should’ve had thee more tries than they’ve gotten.
Jackson boots the ball forward with a Garryowen, and manage to win the ball and have a rare break. Evans attempted to kick the ball forward and chase it. Keith Earls makes an intercept, breaks himself, and kicks the ball out deep in the Scotland half.
Prop forward Alan Jacobsen was pulled up by the referee for persistent fouling in the scrum. The Edinburgh man recieves a yellow card.
O’Gara kicks the penalty out for an Ireland throw. For the second time in the match, however, Ireland lose the lineout.
The start of the second half and yet another scrum mess. After about three minutes, Scotland infringe and Ireland get a penalty.
Half time
Earls was almost played in for a try on half-time, but was hauled into touch a few yards from the line. The ref blows his whistle.
While O’Gara’s kicking for touch has been good, his place kicking has been less so. He had a chance for a penalty but missed badly. Two from four for the Munster man.
Ireland are plowing through the Scotland defence with incredible ease at the moment. A wonderful attacking moved involving Heaslip, Sean O’Brien, Brian O’Driscoll and others comes to nothing, however, when O’Gara gives away a penalty. At least this one is deep in Scotland’s half and not what you could describe as kickable.
Ireland give away their seventh penalty of the match. Shockingly indiscipline. Ireland are by far the better team, but keep letting the Scots back into this. Patterson puts it over.
The ball is played out of the ruck to Heaslip, who releases Redden who runs over for a try. Very easy, very soft, but Ireland aren’t complaining. O’Gara converts.
Try Ireland
Awful defending by Scotland, as they conspire to give away a scrum while in a comfortable position in defence. Ireland have a scrum from within two yards of the line.
Eoin Redden broke brilliantly, but wasn’t able to release Keith Earls. The ball eventually comes to O’Gara, who kicks it out of play to within inchs of Scotland’s tryline.
Scotland have a scrum on the centre circle, and as is often the case, it is taking absolutely forever. Over three and a half minutes it is taking. Eventually the ref gives Scotland a penalty, which Patterson doesn’t manage to put out of play.
Ronan O’Gara pulls a penalty badly wide. It doesn’t go out of play and Scotland break quickly. They make a decent amount of ground, and Ireland have a line out.
Jamie Heaslip infringed in a ruck in clear view of the referee (pretty brainless, really). Patterson puts it over again, and Scotland are suddenly within a point.
Penalty against Cian Healy for not retreating. Edinburgh’s Patterson kicked it over. Ireland are giving away a lot of penalties.
Scotland have stolen a lineout from Ireland. Jackson kicks it upfield, and Luke Fitzgerald matches a good catch. The ball is played to O’Gara, who kicks it out of play. The lineout will be from the halfway line.
Ireland look good with the ball, and have been solid at the scrums. Ireland have turned it over on two occasions, but O’Gara has kicked well territorially.
Ireland get a scrum just in front of the tryline. The ball is played out and Heaslip waltzes in easy as you like. Try couldn’t have been simpler. O’Gara converts.
Try Ireland
Ireland get the first scrum of the day. The ball is released quickly, Redden passes to O’Gara, who kicks forward for Tommy Bowe to chase. Patterson doesn’t read the ball well, and almost lets Bowe in. Patterson puts it out for a lineout.
Scotland get a penalty early for a knock on by Luke Fitzgerald. Jackson takes it from a long distance out. His attempt goes close, but not close enough.
Andy Robinson has rung the changes for Scotland’s clash with Ireland at Murrayfield.
Four of the changes have been enforced; Joe Ansbro and Rory Lamont are out with concussions, Hugo Southwell has a cheek injury, while Euan Murray doesn’t play on Sundays due to his commitment to the Christian Sabbath.
Rory Lawson and Dan Parks, meanwhile, are dropped and will start from the bench.
Chris Paterson, Sean Lamont, Ruaridh Jackson, Mike Blair, Johnnie Beattie, Moray Low and Richie Gray are all named in the starting line-up.
Scotland team to play Ireland:
C Paterson (Edinburgh); N Walker (Ospreys), N De Luca (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Scarlets) M Evans (Glasgow); R Jackson (Glasgow), M Blair (Edinburgh); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), M Low (Glasgow), R Gray (Glasgow), A Kellock (Glasgow, captain), K Brown (Saracens), J Beattie (Glasgow), J Barclay (Glasgow).
Declan Kidney has made three changes to the Irish team for the Six Nations clash against Scotland this weekend.
Tommy Bowe returns from injury and will take the place of Fergus McFadden on the wing, while Ronan O’Gara and Eoin Reddan will start the game as the half-back pairing in place of Jonathan Sexton and Tomas O’Leary.
Bowe played 80 minutes for his club, Ospreys, against Benetton Treviso at the weekend after recovering from a knee injury, while Tomas O’Leary has been suffering with a back problem and will be replaced by Reddan at scrum half.
Ronan O’Gara has impressed when brought off the bench against both Italy and France and has been rewarded with the number ten jersey ahead of Sexton.
Ireland: Luke Fitzgerald; Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Keith Earls; Ronan O’Gara, Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, Best, Ross, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Sean O’Brien, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Denis Leamy, Peter Stringer, Jonathan Sexton, Paddy Wallace
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