It may have been a battle for mid-table obscurity but, as so often between these two, this was a lively affair, pleasing on the eye and unseemly in almost equal measure. Seven tries is not to be sniffed at, even if it is becoming the norm that our Six Nations yeomen somehow feel able to breathe a bit on these final-day festivals.
If there was artistic expression in Dublin, so there was darkness. In the final 10 minutes scuffles broke out three times; there were three yellow cards across the 80 minutes; and Johnny Sexton ought not to look back with pride on his antics just before Alex Dunbar was shown the second of those. Dunbar had picked him up and thrown him out of a ruck in reckless fashion, Sexton hit the floor, appealed to the referee and then clutched his head dramatically, in that order. We must hope it did not affect the referee’s decision.
Nevertheless, both sides finish this championship in some sort of credit, although Scotland will remember it more fondly than Ireland, despite this defeat condemning them to fourth, a point and a place behind their hosts, who avoid the ignominy, for champions, of fifth with this win. “It’s been good to finish with two wins,� said Rory Best, Ireland’s captain, “but we expect to win every game. That’s a standard we’ve set the last two years. When we look back on the Six Nations we’ll be disappointed, particularly with the France game, which we let slip. But we now have a good pool of players who know how to win at Test level after the last two weeks.�
That pool is deeper now, because of Ireland’s extensive injury problems. Peter O’Mahony and Iain Henderson could return for the summer tour to South Africa, which will come as a major boon, even if CJ Stander has thrived in the No6 shirt in their absence. Sean O’Brien and Chris Henry are others due to return, as are Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald. If Ireland were nowhere near achieving a historic third Six Nations title in a row, there have been extenuating circumstances.
Nevertheless, they dominated the first-half possession stakes like few others can ever have managed at this level. And three of their four tries were scored while Scotland were down to 14, which they were twice. A 10-point winning margin feels a little slight in view of all that.
Scotland for their part were playing six days after a landmark win over France. Just as Ireland drew attention to the demands of an away trip six days after a match when they travelled to Paris for that France defeat in round two, so Vern Cotter acknowledged the degree to which such exigencies play their part. “We didn’t get the ideal preparation for a Test match,� he said, “but we’ve got to be able to adapt. At this level, any level, it’s a disadvantage to have less time to prepare than another time. That’s evident.�
Scotland head to Japan this summer looking a more formidable force than they have since the end of the last millennium. Underprepared for this game they might have been, feeding off a fifth of the possession in that first half (although the stats say they enjoyed 70% in the second), but they were incisive and confident when they had the ball. Their championship feels better than the fourth place they must settle for.
“We haven’t beaten France in 10 years,� said Cotter. “I think this is the highest points total Scotland have scored in the Six Nations, so there’s indications that things have improved.�
It was a subdued note on which to finish the championship, both sides sort of satisfied, yet not. They will embark on their respective summer tours anxious to kick on.
Ireland Zebo; Trimble (McFadden, 79), Payne, Henshaw, Earls; Sexton, Murray (Reddan, 79); McGrath (Healy, 68), Best (capt; Strauss, 68), Ross (White, 63), Ryan (Dillane, 70), Toner, Stander, O’Donnell (Ruddock, 70), Heaslip.
Sin-bin Sexton 77.
Tries Stander, Earls, Murray, Toner. Cons Sexton 3. Pens Sexton 3.
Scotland Hogg; Seymour, Taylor, Dunbar, Visser (Lamont, 69); Weir (Horne, 63), Laidlaw (capt); Dickinson (Sutherland, 67), Ford (McInally, 50), Nel (Low, 68), R Gray, Swinson (Harley, 63), Barclay, Hardie (Strauss, 53), Wilson.
Sin-bin Barclay 25, Dunbar 68.
Tries Hogg, Gray. Cons Laidlaw 2. Pens Laidlaw 2.
Referee P GaĂ¼zère (France). Attendance 51,700.
