Player ratings: A top-class exhibition from Keith Earls helps Ireland over the line
Keith Earls proved the noise wrong as he so often does with a top-class exhibition of positional defending, defensive application and breakdown excellence
This was a decent performance from Healy in the scrum and around the collisions on both sides of the ball. 6/10
A few people wondered why Herring was selected ahead of the more explosive Ronan Kelleher but he showed his quality here with some excellent throwing, scrummaging and offensive breakdown work. 7/10
He stepped defenders like they were his dreaded orange spuds but it was his power in the collisions that was a big factor for Ireland. His defensive lineout lifting on James Ryan was top class and played a large part in taking that area of the game away from Scotland. 7/10
This was another class performance in the tight exchanges from Henderson. He worked his tail off in defence, in particular. 8/10
Ryan looks back to his best. He destroyed the Scottish lineout and played a large part in Ireland’s gainline dominance during key moments in the game. 8/10
Beirne had another massive game in what has become a breakout year for him at Test level. His try was well taken but his work at the offensive and defensive breakdown was a key part of this win. 8/10
Connors' defensive work in the build-up to Scotland’s second try was outstanding and he got consistent stops on their power runners for the full 80 minutes. He’s really had a superb season for Ireland. 9/10
This was another teak-tough day at the office for CJ Stander on his 50th cap. He’s been consistently excellent over the last few years and this game was another example of his quality in the carry, at the breakdown and as an impact defender. 8/10
His kicking and control from ruck to ruck was a little too loose. Scotland left no room for Gibson-Park to bring his movement around the ruck so the focus fell back to where his game is a bit weaker. 5/10
Sexton’s relentless goal kicking was the difference between a win and a loss here.
His work around the field was pretty average but when your kicker shows up in tight games, you usually win and that was true here. 6/10
His attacking work for Leinster has been a massive part of their game for the last few years and while we’ve seen glimpses of that at Test level, there are now quite a few questions to ask on his positioning and defensive application. This wasn’t a great day for him with a number of errors at crucial times. 3/10
Henshaw has been Ireland’s most consistent back in this year’s tournament. He continuously gets over the gain line, impacts in defence and makes big, winning plays on the regular. This was another example of his quality. 9/10
This was a tough game for Ringrose overall. He made a few poor reads in defence and shipped a few errors too. He looks like he’s forcing it, offensively speaking. 6/10
It’s never a good idea to doubt Keith Earls. The usual noise accompanied the news of his one-year contract extension and the same noise followed his selection on the right wing ahead of this game. He proved the noise wrong as he so often does with a top-class exhibition of positional defending, defensive application and breakdown excellence. 9/10
A solid shift for the young fullback without shooting the lights out. 7/10
The bench was pretty good. Kilcoyne and Porter made some decent impact around the field and Ryan Baird made a huge play right at the end that forced the ruck that lead to the winning penalty.
Solid stuff from Sutherland. He made a big impact defensively when Scotland were under pressure in general. 6/10
When your lineout runs at 25%, the focus will naturally fall on the hooker and there was no place for him to hide on a disastrous day for the Scottish set-piece. 4/10
The Scottish tighthead had a good tussle with Healy at the scrum but didn’t really impact the game offensively in the way that Zander Fagerson did so well earlier in the tournament. 5/10
Decent performance from the Glasgow lock, despite swiping at air in the lineout for most of his time on the field. His injury in the second half was costly for Scotland’s replacement plans. 6/10
The Exeter second-row was Scotland’s top tackler despite going off the field on 54 minutes. He was a big loss for them as the second half wore on. 6/10
This was a fairly good performance from the Edinburgh man in his first day back after injury. He didn’t have the impact he’s normally known for. 6/10
Few flankers in this tournament have Watson’s quality. His finish for his try was as impressive as any flying trapeze act in the corner. A cert to play with the Lions this season, injury allowing. 8/10 8. Matt Fagerson: A tough, gnarly performance from the Glasgow No 8. 7/10
This was not a game that will make Ali Price’s highlight reel. His kicking and error rate was a killer for Scotland on a day when they needed control. 3/10
A mixed day for Russell. He showed good variety offensively but he lacked composure in the third quarter and missed a crucial penalty. 6/10
Another man with a mixed day at the office. His power is undeniable but Scotland were unable to manoeuvre him into a position for him to show off his skill set. 6/10
Good defence but he lacked the impact of Redpath offensively. 5/10
Some good moments offensively but he struggled to impact in a game where Scotland had no lineout worth talking about. 5/10
This was another quietly excellent performance from Maitland on the basics of wing play. Good player. 7/10
Hogg wasn’t able to impact offensively as much as he would like from a quantity perspective but his incisive running was a key part of Huw Jones try. 8/10
Injuries took away a lot of Scotland’s planned bench rotation but I felt their front five replacements did quite well in the face of strong Irish pressure.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
