Ireland keep their winning run over Scotland going with bonus point at Murrayfield
Ireland's Peter O'Mahony and James Ryan and Scotland's Grant Gilchrist. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Ireland brushed aside Scotland with a comfortable bonus point victory at Murrayfield on Sunday to ensure their Six Nations title defence remains on track after two rounds.
Ireland made a blistering start, tying the Scottish defence in knots with their relentless tempo in the early exchanges, with a huge dash up the centre from Robbie Henshaw creating an attacking opportunity inside the home side’s 22.
After multiple penalties were conceded the Scottish defence eventually cracked, with out-half Sam Prendergast picking out the completely unmarked Calvin Nash with a lovely long looping pass in the 8th minute and the Munster wing had the simple task of collecting in the breadbasket to walk in the opening try.
Nash was bundled over after hacking a loose ball through to score in the 13th minute, but the referee did not see the incident as a penalty try, despite brandishing Duhan van der Merwe a yellow card for the offence.
There was a big stoppage in the 21st minute after a rotten clash of heads between Finn Russell and Darcy Graham, with Graham having to receive lengthy treatment on the pitch. As Scotland had gone with a 6-2 split on the bench it meant their much-vaunted backline was now decimated and they did not have the resources on the pine to patch it up.
Prendergast slotted a penalty in the 23rd minute and on the half-hour mark Ireland got the second try their dominance deserved when captain Caelan Doris barrelled his way over the line after the Irish scrum had wheeled towards the blindside to create the attacking angle.
It looked like Scotland were to go in half-time scoreless, but with seconds left they won a penalty and stretched Ireland to breaking point, with van der Merwe acrobatically diving over in the left corner to give the home side hope, leaving them trailing 5-17 at the break.
Blair Kinghorn reduced the gap further with a 43rd-minute penalty, and the full-back, who was now the out half in the absence of the stricken Russell, made a brilliant break a few minutes later, which ended with him slotting another penalty to get his team within range of Ireland.
The comeback was halted in its tracks by an Irish try in the 54th minute. James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park combined down the left touchline to force Kinghorn into conceding a 5m scrum and from the resultant attack it was Lowe who blasted his way home from close range to score.
In the 59th minute, Ireland secured the bonus point try, with Jack Conan muscling his way over, but the genesis of the score was a wonderful dink over the top by Gibson-Park, which was collected by Hugo Keenan under the posts, and when Ireland went wide Conan crashed over.
Prendergast kicked three more points in the 69th minute before Ben White grabbed a late consolation try for Scotland.
B Kinghorn (2 pens, 1 con), D van der Merwe, B White (1 try each)
S Prendergast (2 pens, 3 cons), C Nash, C Doris, J Lowe, J Conan (1 try each)
B Kinghorn; D Graham, H Jones, T Jordan, D van der Merwe; F Russell (jc), B White; R Sutherland, D Cherry, Z Fagerson; J Gray, G Gilchrist; M Fagerson, R Darge (jc), J Dempsey.
J Dobie and S McDowall for F Russell and D Graham (21), E Ashman, P Schoeman, G Brown for D Cherry, R Sutherland, J Gray (47), J Ritchie for J Dempsey (60), W Hurd and S Skinner for Z Fagerson and G Gilchrist (67).
H Keenan; C Nash, R Henshaw, B Aki, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, F Bealham; J Ryan, T Beirne; P O'Mahony, J van der Flier, C Doris (c).
R Baird for T Beirne (9), J Conan for R Baird (14), T Beirne for J Conan (18), D Sheehan for R Kelleher (40), J Conan for P O’Mahony (51), G Ringrose for B Aki (57), T Clarkson for F Bealham (61), B Baird and J Crowley for J Ryan and C Nash (64), C Murray for J Gibson-Park (68), C Healy for A Porter (69).
James Doleman (NZ)
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