Ireland player ratings

Ireland player ratings

15 Girvan Dempsey – a magnificent last line of defence and his brilliance under the high ball did much to counter the kicking threat of Gordon Ross. 9

14 Shane Horgan – unlucky to pick up a leg injury early in the game and went off after 25 minutes. 6

13 Brian O’Driscoll – superb first 6 Nations match as captain rewarded by the man-of-the-match award. Shook off the effects of an early high tackle to run the Scottish defence ragged. 9.

12 Kevin Maggs – quiet on attack but produced some big hits in defence. 7.

11 Denis Hickie – overcame a nervous start in which he fluffed a couple of clearance kicks to finish decisively for the game’s first try and put Humphreys over for the third. 8

10 David Humphreys – showed all his class with a vintage display as deputy for Ronan O’Gara and succeeded with all but one of his nine shots at goal. 8

9 Peter Stringer – struggled to get the better of Scotland skipper Bryan Redpath but worked overtime in defence and came up with a crucial ankle tap to deny Glenn Metcalfe. 7.

1 Reggie Corrigan – made an encouraging comeback to 6 Nations rugby before taking a well-earned breather after 73 minutes. 7.

2 Shane Byrne – proved to be a useful deputy for Keith Woods, especially with his accurate line-out throws. 7

3 John Hayes – a typical Trojan’s effort from the big man, who helped Ireland edge the set-piece play. 8

4 Gary Longwell – effective in the line-out until being replaced by Leo Cullen after 66 minutes. 7

5 Malcolm O’Kelly – a typical tower of strength in the line-out and busy as usual in the loose. 8.

6 Victor Costello – made an impressive return to Six Nations duty with some telling bursts. 7

7 Anthony Foley – part of an effective back row which had Scotland repeatedly on the back foot. 7

8 Keith Gleeson – lively show in the loose, he came up with some timely turn-overs to thwart the Scots. 8

Replacements:

Frank Sheahan – only came on for the last five minutes

Marcus Horan – came on after 73 minutes to give Corrigan a breather

Leo Cullen – came on for Longwell on 66 minutes and quickly made his presence felt with a useful display. 7

Alan Quinlan – played the last 11 minutes as a replacement for Costello

Guy Easterby – only had a five-minute spell before the end as a replacement for Stringer

Paul Burke – the final replacement to be used, with only a minute left

Geordan Murphy – made a telling contribution which should be enough to help him retain his place. Scored his ninth try for his country after a clever pick-up and chase. 8

Scotland Player Ratings

15 Glenn Metcalfe: Had little opportunity to shine as Scotland spent much of the match going backwards, but did little wrong. 6

14 Kenny Logan: Made one promising raid down the right wing which should have led to a Scottish try but otherwise caused the Irish defence few problems. 5

13 Andy Craig: Was given a torrid time by Brian O’Driscoll who breached the first line of defence time and again. Also offered little in attack. 6

12 Brendan Laney: Clothes-lined O’Driscoll in the first half and was also responsible for the speculative pass which saw Scotland squander the best try-scoring opportunity of the game. 5

11 Chris Paterson: Showed courage but on this evidence looks out of his depth at the highest level. Lightweight and lacks the firepower needed by the modern winger. 5

10 Gordon Ross: Kicked all his side’s points but will need to improve if he is to stave off competition from Gregor Townsend and Brendan Laney for the number 10 shirt. 6

9 Bryan Redpath: The Scotland skipper was not his usual lively self but he was not helped by his forwards who failed to establish a decent platform. 6

1 Tom Smith: Conspicuous in the loose with several determined runs and competed with his usual aggression. 7

2 Gordon Bulloch: Found his jumpers in the line-out but the Glasgow hooker failed to shine elsewhere and made the highest number of errors in the game. 6

3 Bruce Douglas: The Borders prop continues to show promise and could be a fearsome front-row operator in years to come. Relished his ball-carrying opportunities. 7

4 Scott Murray: Another towering display in the line-out where he has few equals and never shirked his duties in the loose. 7

5 Stuart Grimes: A quiet afternoon for the Newcastle lock who found himself out-muscled by Ireland’s physical approach. 5

6 Martin Leslie: The kilted Kiwi was another player who failed to respond to the Irish challenge up-front, although he did make some hard yards up the middle. 6

7 Andrew Mower: Called in as replacement for Budge Poutney and is not in the same class as the Northampton flanker, although at times he suggested he could grow into the role. 6

8 Simon Taylor: The Edinburgh youngster continues to impress and showed today exactly why coach Ian McGeechan has so much faith in his talent. Fast hands for such a big man. 8