LIVEScotland v Ireland, Six Nations minute-by-minute
Ireland's Jack Conan scores the visitors' fourth try during the Guinness Men's Six Nations match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
That's it for our minute-by-minute coverage. Thanks for joining us this afternoon and don't forget you can keep up to speed with all the reaction from Murrayfield here on the Irish Examiner's website, in tomorrow's paper and via our post-game rugby pod which we'll be recording and putting out later this evening.
Next up for Ireland. A floundering Wales in Cardiff in two weeks' time. What could possibly go wrong? Take care.
Scotland coach, Gregor Townsend, speaking to the BBC: "When they had the ball, they scored. The yellow card made it tough for us to get back in the game. Then the injuries disrupted things. I felt the players were building back into the game, but once Ireland got back into our 22 they showed how clinical they are. When you are behind on the scoreboard against a quality side, you need to make sure they don't get more opportunities. We'll get learnings. Accuracy would be the number one thing."
Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby: "We would have taken that before the game. We had to work hard but we felt like if we attacked the game in the right way then we would get our reward, and we did, thankfully."
Ireland's fourth try, from Jack Conan. This was the score that removed any remaining doubt.
⌚️ Jack Conan powered over the line to steer Ireland to a bonus point victory over Scotland in Edinburgh 🔥#Breitling #DefiningMoment @Breitling pic.twitter.com/fZolxjVu4o
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 9, 2025
Mick Cleary's Ireland player ratings includes two 9s and a 9.5
Ronan O'Gara's take on the BBC: "If you're looking for a formula of how to go away and win in the Six Nations I think you should study that. It was ruthless from minute one. Total domination. Scotland didn't get any in. Normally in a Test match the lead changes hands a couple of times and it's in the balance. Today the biggest surprise is that it finished 32-18. It felt like a 40-point victory and maybe if Ireland need to, I think they've another couple of gears to go."
See here for Simon Lewis's on-the-whistle report from Edinburgh...
You can keep abreast of all the reaction from Murrayfield here on the Irish Examiner through the evening. Simon Lewis's report from Edinburgh is imminent, we'll have player ratings (always guaranteed to generate plenty of debate), and Simon will be joining myself, Brendan O'Brien, for our Irish Examiner pod later this evening to run through all the game's talking points
Sam Prendergast, man of the match on his first appearance for Ireland away from Dublin, gives his take. And they say youth is wasted on the young!
Jamie Heaslip not the first to suggest that Ireland will change things up at ten for the next game and start Jack Crowley away to Wales in two weeks' time
Man of the match Sam Prendergast speaking to RTE: "I thought we started unbelievably in the game. We put so much pressure on. It wasn't perfect but we just kept piling on moments. I thought we did really well in the second-half when they got their purple patch to then come back. That shows a good bit of character from us. It wasn't perfect but it was better than last week and we'll try to keep getting better week on week."
The Beeb's coverage is done as they look ahead to Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur's FA Cup tie. We'll stay on here a bit longer to share what everyone has to say about this latest Ireland win
Jim Hamilton, speaking on RTE, on this Ireland side: "This is a quality team littered with talent."
Ronan O'Gara on the Ireland performance: "If you're looking for a formula of how to go away from home and win in the Six Nations, look at that. The biggest surprise for us was that it finished 32-18. It felt like a 40-point win."
That's that! Ireland win 32-18 and that's two wins from two for Simon Easterby's men who are now the only team left in this Six Nations who can claim the Grand Slam.
The BBC goes with Sam Prendergast as their man of the match. The Leinster out-half has scored 12 points and looked more than comfortable in what is his first game away from home for Ireland
TRY! Ben White scurries over for a typical scrum-half's sniping try from close in with less than five minutes to go. Ireland conceded two tries late doors to England. They'll be grumpy about that one. Score now reads 32-18 with the conversion.
Agreed!
Not sure Finlay Bealham has received the credit he deserves when Furlong is out.. #SCOvIRE #6Nations
— Ryle Nugent (@ryle_nugent) February 9, 2025
Penalty from Sam Prendergast and Ireland have now hit the 30-mark. It's now 32-11. Cian Healy is on too.
Conor Murray on now for Jamison Gibson-Park. What a career this man has built!
Ireland's third try, with James Lowe going over. This was the score that really emptied the Scottish sails.
☘️ Flying over for @IrishRugby 😮💨#GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/7AcCI33w4R
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 9, 2025
Clear sense of a game going through the motions now with Ireland 18 points ahead with 12 minutes to go
Jack Crowley coming on with 65 minutes gone for ... Calvin Nash. Ryan Baird replacing James Ryan in the second row too.
Thomas Clarkson is on for Finlay Bealham as Jack Conan groundhogs and wins another penalty.
TRY! Ireland are in again for a fourth, bonus-point try. Jack Conan getting it down this time. Clever chip kick by Jamison Gibson-Park, collected in the air by Hugo Keenan and then reworked right where Conan touches down. Sam Prendergast misses the extra two but the score now is 29-11. Job done, surely.
Garry Ringrose coming on for Bundee Aki. Ireland continuing to mix and match their three world-class centres
TRY James Lowe! The response Ireland badly needed. It all came from a break in midfield and a build-up of pressure with the Leinster wing finally managing to get the space to touch down despite the best efforts of two defenders. Prendergast adds the extras. Ireland lead 24-11
That Scottish try just before half-time...
Duhan gets it down! What a stunning finish from Van Der Merwe! What about the McDowall offload! 🤯🏴 #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/JIuOYcU2FA
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 9, 2025
Scotland pummelling the Irish line but decide to take an easy three points from a penalty in front of the posts. Scoreline now 11-17 with over 30 minutes to play. Eleven points unanswered from the Scots now
Let off for Ireland there with the officials adjudging that Henshaw's knock-on was the result of a natural action in attempting a tackle. Nigel Owens says it could have gone either way.
Huge break on the counter for Scotland with Blair Kinghorn rampaging into the Ireland 22, but a knock-on allows Ireland to survive. But is there an intentional knock-on by Ireland's Robbie Henshaw?
Nigel Owens on that Van Der Merwe yellow card: "There's a little nudge on the tryline. It is a yellow card but the question is, would a try have been scored? The ball bounces away from them. It goes away from the player who was taken out. He would probably not have got to the ball. You've got the Scotland 12 going back there as well. The correct decision, no penalty try but a penalty and a yellow card. It's a silly act. He didn't need to do it." Ronan O'Gara replies, "If it had been the other way around, you'd have given the penalty try, Nigel." Owens says, "Against you, I would have!"
Dan Sheehan is on at the break for Ronan Kelleher. Not a bad replacement to call on.
Back underway at Murrayfield...
Huge! Try for the hosts. Duhan van der Merwe dives over in the corner with seconds until half-time. Ireland will be raging as they had the ball and just had to go through the motions but gave away a penalty and offered the Scots the sniff of an opening. Game on? Blair Kinghorn misses the conversion. 17-5 to Ireland at the break.
Asked where Ireland are doing well, Ronan O'Gara says on BBC: "Every aspect. Total domination. Staggering to see."
Scotland enjoying some attacking purchase the last few minutes now. Tom Jordan, who started at inside-centre, the man at No.10 with Finn Russell sitting in the stands after his HIA.
Finn Russell has failed his HIA.
Finn Russell fails his HIA and will not return to action.#GuinnessM6N
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 9, 2025
Try for Ireland! Caelan Doris gets over for Ireland's second try after 31 minutes. Sam Prendergast nails a difficult conversion to make it 17-0. Scots are sinking fast here.
Ryan Baird has seemingly passed his HIA and has returned to the bench
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, currently on leave to oversee the British and Irish Lions, is in the Murrayfield crowd
Peter O'Mahony brings a Scottish attack to an abrupt halt with a fantastic turnover at the ruck. Brilliant from the Munster veteran. "Textbook O'Mahony," says Donal Lenihan on co-comms, who adds that Scotland are rattled.
Plenty of blood coming from Bundee Aki's head but he remains on the pitch.
Andy Farrell is in the crowd for Scotland v Ireland! #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/RDPilEkw0p
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 9, 2025
Penalty to Ireland on the restart and Sam Prendergast dissects the posts to put Ireland 10-0 in front. Duhan van der Merwe returns from his yellow card straight after.
Jamie Dobie is on for Darcy Graham for Scotland who have had to rejig their backline as a result of the head clash. A lengthy delay to the game as Darcy Graham is seen to by the medical team. Graham goes off in a head brace. He gives a thumbs up as he goes off.
Scotland have done well to keep the score at 7-0 while Duhan van der Merwe has been sin-binned. He'll be back on in a couple of minutes.
Scotland just about surviving. The ball is held up on the Scottish try line again.
Good news: Tadhg Beirne back on after his HIA.
Just as Scotland look like they're about to get going in attack, Ireland turn it over just outside their 22.
Scotland go down the line with a penalty. They claim the lineout.
☘️ Calvin Nash out on the wing to open the score for @IrishRugby 😎#GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/kGC2UnZP5m
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 9, 2025
Ryan Baird, who came on when Tadhg Beirne went off for a HIA, has also gone off for a HIA. Jack Conan is on.
Ireland go to the corner from the penalty. The maul goes over the line but the ref says the ball was held up.
No penalty try but there is a yellow card for Duhan van der Merwe for a push on Calvin Nash. The referee says it was not a penalty try as the ball went dead.
Very messy from Scotland and Calvin Nash pounces. The referee will check a push on Calvin Nash as he was chasing the ball near Scotland's try line.
It's all Ireland here. Gibson-Park turns the ball over after a Scotland scrum.
Tadhg Beirne goes off, hopefully just temporarily, and Ryan Baird comes on.
Another penalty to Ireland for a push on Robbie Henshaw during the kick off. The Scottish crowd don't like it.
Prendergast adds the extras. It's 7-0 to Ireland. Dream start.
Try for Ireland! Sam Prendergast goes wide to Calvin Nash and the Munster winger touches down. Ominous for Scotland.
Tadhg Beirne claims the lineout from Kelleher's throw. Scotland collapse the maul and Ireland have another penalty.
Loads of pressure from Ireland and they have a penalty advantage. The attack breaks down. Ireland go to the corner.
Jamison Gibson-Park has the put in for the first scrum and Ireland launch their first attack. They're into the Scotland 22.
Lovely kick and chip from Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn but Ireland manage to turn the ball over.
Sam Prendergast gets the game underway.
Six-time Olympic champion Chris Hoy hands the match ball to the referee.
We're five minutes from kick off at Murrayfield.
Regarding a taking an international head coach job in the future, O'Gara adds:
"It's unbelievably exciting but for me to get on a short list you need to make sure that my bread and butter, which is La Rochelle, is going well. I have a loyalty to them obviously because they've put me where I am.
"In terms of club jobs in Europe, La Rochelle is a great team to be with. Very good lifestyle.
"If you want to go from a club team to an international team, you want to make sure that that international team could be the best in the world."
BBC pundits’ panel with Barclay, ROG and Johnno. Different class to Eddie Jones yesterday.
— Mick Cleary (@MickClearyTel) February 9, 2025
"No, nothing to report," says Ronan O'Gara when asked about being linked to the Australia head coach job.
"It's the way it goes I think and I'm always convinced that if you do the business with your club team. They'll come home looking for you.
"I've been living a dream in France where a bunch of boys are giving me an opportunity to potentially go coach in the international game. I want to do that, of course.
"I want to do I want to test myself against the best coaches in the world."
Ronan O'Gara is part of BBC's coverage for today's game.
Good story from John Barclay about the origin of the Irish and Scottish rivalry. He believes it stems from some animosity between Munster and Glasgow. "This is a set up, I don't want to be here," says ROG, as Barclay starts the story.
"I think [Ronan] was captaining Munster," says Barclay. "Al Kellock was captaining Glasgow and you got in a proper fight. The referee called the pair of them over and said, 'Listen, you're the two of the most well-known players in rugby at the moment. ROG said, 'I've got no idea who this clown is'."
Ronan says that without centre Sione Tuipulotu, the Scotland team does not look complete.
Donal believes that Ireland occupy important territory in the Scottish heads.
H Keenan (Leinster); C Nash (Munster), R Henshaw (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Lowe (Leinster); S Prendergast (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); A Porter (Leinster), R Kelleher (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht); J Ryan (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster); P O’Mahony (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), C Doris – captain (Leinster).
D Sheehan (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), T Clarkson (Leinster), R Baird (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), G Ringrose (Leinster).
Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Tom Jordan, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Ben White; Rory Sutherland, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Sam Skinner, Gregor Brown, Jamie Ritchie, Jamie Dobie, Stafford McDowall.
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