Job done as Ireland hold off dogged Scots to retain Six Nations title
16 March 2024; Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony, right, and Tadhg Furlong lift the Six Nations trophy after the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Ireland completed back-to-back Guinness Six Nations titles at Aviva Stadium on Saturday as they overcame a dogged Scotland performance to end the visitors’ dreams of a Triple Crown.
Andy Farrell’s men rebounded from a last-gasp Twickenham defeat to England seven days earlier to secure the 2024 championship on home soil with a hard-fought victory that gave them an unassailable lead at the top of the standings ahead of title rivals England’s late kick-off in France.
A try in each half from Dan Sheehan and then front-row partner Andrew Porter laid the foundations with Jack Crowley kicking two conversion and a penalty but Scotland did not let their hosts have it all their own way, and Huw Jones’ late converted try made for a nervy conclusion before the celebrations could begin.
Ireland had been dealt a serious blow before kick-off when full-back Hugo Keenan picked up a hip injury during the warm-up, replaced by Jordan Larmour, playing his first game in the green number 15 jersey since 2020.
In a championship which had seen Ireland move on without the retired Johnny Sexton and missing injured wing Mack Hansen ahead of round one, then losing lock James Ryan to injury at the halfway stage, Keenan’s absence marked another test of the squad’s ability to roll with the punches.
That it came against a Scotland team attempting to rebound from defeat in Italy but motivated by their shot at a first Triple Crown of the Six Nations era raised the stakes higher as they went in search of back-to-back titles.
Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony seemed to realise the sense of occasion, the flanker in tears as the anthems were sung, though speculation that this could be his last game for his country no doubt also played into his pre-match emotions.
And after an Irish first-half riddled with errors and poor execution with ball in hand, from the boot and in contact, it appeared as if the nerves all belonged to the home as they took a 7-6 lead into the interval.
Ironically it was a Scottish lineout malfunction that unlocked the door, Ireland hooker Dan Sheen pouncing at the tail to claim an overthrow and dive over the line for the opening try of the afternoon on 12 minutes to counter Finn Russell’s seventh-minute penalty for the visitors.
Jack Crowley’s conversion made it 7-3, only for Russell to add his second penalty five minutes later as Ireland struggled for fluency across the opening 40 minutes. Not that Scotland seemed to be causing the championship leaders too much trouble, but when Crowley missed a shot at goal from seven metres inside the opposition half five minutes before the break it summed up a forgettable first period for Ireland.
If Farrell’s players had looked sluggish before the interval they started with the second half with an injection of energy, Bundee Aki making a break down the left wing from a James Lowe offload to get Ireland into the 22 from where the home side eked a penalty, which Crowley dispatched on 43 minutes to move his side into a 10-6 lead.
Ireland thought they had extended their advantage further when from a five-metre tap penalty, Tadhg Furlong’s pick saw him power over the Scottish tryline. The onfield decision from referee Matthew Carley and his officials was no try, a call upheld by TMO Marius Jonker relayed to a chorus of boos from the majority of this sell-out Aviva crowd.
Yet momentum had shifted further Ireland’s way, the crowd were energised and Scotland found themselves under consistent pressure as the Irish scrum turned the screw.
Calvin Nash was the next Irishman to go close as he stepped inside from his right wing, sending four Scottish defenders the wrong way only to perhaps take one step too many and run into contact and knock on.
Scotland’s error count was rising, Blair Kinghorn failing to cut out a kick to touch and handing Ireland an attacking lineout inside the 22, after which they conceded another penalty, sent back into touch. From that five-metre lineout on 58 minutes, Ireland mauled and got to the tryline, Scotland defending resolutely and getting their reward when Garry Ringrose, introduced for Nash moments earlier, knocked on as he ran at speed onto a pass in front of the posts.
The resulting scrum also went Scotland’s way to relieve the siege but it did not last long, Larmour breaking down the right wing to send Ireland back onto the front foot inside their rivals’ 22. A penalty advantage soon followed, and another, and Robbie Henshaw found a gap to get over the Scottish tryline only for referee Carley to intervene once more and send the decision up to the TMO, who found the ball held up. No try but having conceded three penalties in a row, Scotland were in Carley’s sights and replacement hooker Ewan Ashman was shown a yellow card for his team’s crimes, as O’Mahony left the field with a wave to an adoring crowd.
Ireland’s second try came not long after, Porter at the spearhead of an Irish frontal assault on the Scottish posts, Crowley adding the conversion to push the lead to 17-6 but the title was still far from assured.
Ireland finished the game short-handed following replacement Harry Byrne’s yellow card for head-on-head contact with Russell on 75 minutes. The decision went to a bunker review which kept the card at a yellow but by then the Scots had capitalised on their numerical advantage with a try from centre Huw Jones. Russell converted to make it a four-point game at 17-13 to set up an anxious last few minutes but Ireland got the job done, just, and are champions once more.
J Larmour (H Byrne, 68); C Nash (G Ringrose, 56), R Henshaw, B Aki, J Lowe; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park (C Murray, 69); A Porter (C Healy, 67), D Sheehan (R Kelleher, 55), T Furlong (F Bealham, 51 - HIA); J McCarthy (R Baird, 55), T Beirne; P O’Mahony – captain (J Conan, 64), J van der Flier C Doris.
Yellow card: H Byrne 75.
B Kinghorn (K Rowe, 66); K Steyn, H Jones, S McDowall (C Redpath, 61), D van der Merwe; F Russell – co-captain, B White (G Horne, 61); P Schoeman (R Sutherland, 49), G Turner (E Ashman, 49), Z Ferguson (J Sebastien, 70); G Gilchrist, S Cummings (S Skinner, 70); A Christie (G Turner 68 – YC replacement), R Darge – co-captain (M Fagerson, 61), J Dempsey.
Yellow card: E Ashman 64-74
Matthew Carley (England) end
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