Player ratings: Squad depth proves Ireland are in a really, really good place
A'BOY JOHNNY: Johnny Sexton of Ireland celebrates with the Six Nations trophy. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Was having a good game, despite a couple of blips, until he shipped a clumsy tackle from Freddie Steward before the break. Superb tackling, running, kicking, catching. The guy can do the lot, can’t he?
SIX NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.
SIX NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.
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Another busy evening’s work after last week’s man of the match effort in Murrayfield. Got turned over early but this was a game where few had their hands clean by the end and Hansen was dangerous again with his broken-field running.
One of the few to get through the 80 without too many obvious blemishes. Perfect in his tackling and busy with ball in hand as well. Took a great line and injected real pace when taking Aki’s pass and going over for his try.
Great game from the Connacht man. Lovely reverse pass for Henshaw’s try and he made a huge amount of carries and yards while nailing every last one of his tackles. What riches Ireland have in the midfield.
Some very good and some not so good. Lowe made some crucial tackles and missed others while coughing up four turnovers to boot. Almost threw a costly intercept too but then claimed one brilliant high take as well and kicked well. Mixed bag basically.
Not the perfect game but all the more impressive for how he bent it to his will in the end. Pumped his fists and pumped up the crowd all day and turned the screw with his crosskicks, his defence and his dead-eyed kicking. Oh, and he broke the Six Nations points record too.
As with Sexton, you might ask why Ireland’s playmakers kicked so much. Also had to make do with some slow ball, but Gibson-Park managed two critical kick-and-chase contributions down the left wing in the second-half that helped swing the momentum Ireland’s way.
Penalised at the lineout and at the scrum, Porter’s tackling was almost exemplary but he didn’t manage to get on the ball as much as Ireland might have liked. Came off four minutes from the end so a major shift again.
He’s had better days with the darts and forced one or two other things, like the rest, but Sheehan is a force of nature going forward. His two tries were exceptionally taken and he made other breaks besides. A world-class talent already. At his age.
A strange one from the tighthead. He nailed a ridiculous ten tackles inside the first half-hour but spilled four balls in that first-half and they all cost Ireland momentum and territory. Off before the hour came up for Tom O’Toole.
Carried more times than any of Ireland’s forwards and only Dan Sheehan carried it further. Broke a few tackles too while making ten of his own and offering himself as lineout receiver four times. Scrambled for ball well too. Good shift by the up-and-comer.
Solid effort from Ryan. Not hugely evident in the attacking sense but put in a very respectable defensive shift and played the expected, central role in the Ireland lineout. Critical engine room operator.
Very prominent as a lineout receiver early on, including one huge take under pressure from Maro Itoje in his own ’22. Turned over a couple of times and replaced by Jack Conan shortly before the hour.
No fuss, no panic. Superb in defence and added his usual input to the attack with nine carries for 41 metres. He even claimed a try assist with a reverse pass for Sheehan’s first score. Another exemplary tournament. Cap number 50 in the bag.
Doris has had an inspired tournament but this wasn’t his best afternoon. His numbers on both sides of the ball were in no way shabby but the in-form No.8 was loose with the ball at times and that hurt the team.
Jack Conan made a huge contribution off the bench in Edinburgh and produced a sublime halk-break and pass for Sheehan’s second try to kill the game here. Rob Herring went one better by touching down for the last try.
