The international media reaction to Ireland winning the Six Nations
Ireland celebrate winning the 2024 Six Nations Championship. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Former Scotland international Peter Wright found some solace in his country's defeat to Ireland in the Six Nations on Saturday. Scotland had been terrible in attack but, fortunately, so had Ireland.
"Another disastrous second half," Wright told BBC Radio Scotland.
"I mean, the first half wasn't great but the second half was just awful. It was the same second half we've had for the whole Six Nations. Nothing created until the last few minutes. Too many errors, discipline not the best.
"Thankfully, Ireland were rubbish. Let's be brutally honest, they were pretty poor. Because of that, we stayed in the game. We gave ourselves a chance right at the very end with the Huw Jones try. We were never in this game. We were lucky to get the 13 points that we got because we created very little. That's the sad bit for a team that's supposed to be a pretty good attacking team."
Another former Scotland international, Colin Gregor, was annoyed by head coach Gregor Townsend's positivity after the game.
“You just want him to be disappointed!” said Gregor.
“It’s still a loss. Is he proud because he was expecting to get cuffed? I can understand why he’s saying it, but is that the benchmark? Just to give them a game?
“That wasn’t a good Ireland team. It wasn’t a good Scotland performance. Yes, there was backs-against-the-wall defence, but the basic errors in attack, the things that were in their control they didn’t do all that well. The over-riding sense for me is still frustration."
The victory secured back-to-back Six Nations titles for Ireland and their sixth in 15 years.
"In the end a bit of an anticlimax, for the neutral at least," Michael Aylwin wrote about the game in The Observer.
"The scenes at the Aviva Stadium come the final whistle were familiar. Another Ireland win, a 19th consecutive such result at home; another Six Nations title. But this was not secured with the imperious air we have come to expect of this team."
In The Telegraph, Tom Cary called Ireland, "uncharacteristically poor".
"Perhaps it was the pressure," he added.
"Farrell’s men had already seen the opportunity to become the first team in the Six Nations era to achieve back-to-back Grand Slams go begging. They desperately wanted to put on a show for their fans on home soil and maybe that caused them to tighten up.
"Perhaps it was the fact that rugby players are not designed to play five games in the space of six weeks. Both teams looked leggy here."
The Daily Mail's Nik Simon gave two of his Six Nations awards to Irish players. Best youngster went to Jack Crowley while Bundee Aki go this Player of the Tournament nod.
"The young No 10 assured the Irish there is life after Johnny Sexton," he wrote about Crowley.
"He slotted straight into the side with a calm assurance, dominating opponents until his team slipped up against England. Tommaso Menoncello, the Italy centre, also deserves a special mention."
Reading Aki, he added: "The Connacht centre is a menace. Packed with power and pace, he constantly gets Ireland over the gainline. He excelled throughout the tournament."
Mail On Sunday columnist and former England World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward said Ireland winning back-to-back titles and nearly becoming the first team to win back-to-back Si Nations Grand Slams, "shows how good they are".
"Ireland are still the side to beat and their summer tour to South Africa is something I can’t wait to watch," he continued.
"It will be the No 1 and No 2 sides on the planet going head-to-head. Ireland are going well but it will be interesting to see how they continue to evolve their team."
Before Ireland's defeat to England in the previous round, Steve Borthwick called Andy Farrell's side the "best team in the world". Scotland out-half Finn Russell did the same on Saturday. Both statements were made despite South Africa having won the World Cup just four-and-a-half months ago.
Prior to this weekend's final around of Six Nations games, South Africa assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the Springboks haven't "got anything to prove to anyone" when Ireland travel south this summer.
"Everyone has a right to an opinion, but I think it was the English playing their mind games on the Irish," he told News24.
"One thing I do know is that the best team in the world is the one that won the World Cup and I'm not going to entertain the other things on the side.
"We're not going to fall into the trap, and the fact that the Ireland series is sold out is a massive thing, and it's good for the game.
"It's games that people want to see and watch."
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