Rugby World Cup Pool B: Ireland 36-14 Scotland

Throughout the week, social media turned to what Scotland would need to cause an upset.

If Scotland could beat Ireland. If Scotland could win by 8 points, or take a bonus point and win by 5. If Scotland could put an 80-minute performance together. If Scotland could get into their stride and stay there.

A lot of ifs indeed.

In the end, Saturday night ended up being a grimly predictable affair: no ifs, no buts. 

Ireland didn’t have long to wait before drawing first blood. Ringrose found (a definite case for obstruction aside) a gap in midfield between Grant Gilchrist and Zander Fagerson and the support was there to make it a simple finish. Sexton couldn’t find the centre of the posts with the conversion but it was 5-0 in the blink of an eye. 

Scotland immediately worked their way back into the Irish half and found themselves with a fairly kickable penalty for a high tackle. The choice, as is so often the case for Scotland, was to kick for touch. Scotland found their man with the throw and tried to spread possession wide. It almost seemed as if they couldn’t keep up with their own decisions, Duhan Van Der Merwe getting isolated from his support and not-so-isolated from the Irish back row, who claimed a turnover with ease. 

It wasn’t long until Scotland were back at that end though, with another kickable penalty just outside the Irish 22: another kick for touch.

A throw to the front of the lineout this time, and the all too familiar sight of Scotland losing their throw-in. The luck of the bounce gave Scotland a chance again and they found their man. They spread it wide, won another penalty, and chose again to kick for touch.

Wave after wave of Scottish attack followed, for negative gain line reward. Ireland looked as if they could defend their way back into the Scottish half without the ball. 18 phases of attack ended in a turnover for the men in green, Scotland had nothing to show for it and there was a palpable shift in confidence between the teams.

A thunderous tackle from Gilchrist regained possession, which Ollie Smith (on early for Kinghorn) sent deep into the Irish half for a 50-22. Some Michael Jackson-esque footwork from Hugo Keenan saw Smith denied, James Lowe instead returning the ball deep into the Scottish 22 and the pressure back on.

Fine margins.

The physicality of the game was starting to take its toll as Jamie Ritchie was forced from the field to join the desolate Blair Kinghorn in the dugout. Only 20 minutes in and only 5 points down, but the game was already slipping away: rugby is a game of momentum and Ireland had it all.

Scotland were denied another 50-22, coughing up another lineout soon after. It was another trip to the Irish half with zero additions to the scoreboard.

Scotland looked like they couldn’t keep this up for much longer and it wasn’t long before the Irish turned the screw, sending the ball wide through the hands and opening up the defence with ease for Keenan to finish in the corner. Sexton nailed his kick and it was 12-0.

It felt like more. 

Another Scotland attack led to George Turner finding himself isolated, Andrew Porter took the turnover and Ireland headed straight back to the other end of the field. They took them left, then right, and in the end Iain Henderson went straight through the middle. By contrast, Ireland had four visits to the Scotland 22: 3 tries, 19-0. 

The last ten minutes of the half saw penalty after penalty going against the Scots and waves of Irish attack, Referee Nic Berry even stepped in himself, to literally put his body on the line to prevent the bonus point score, but nevertheless, it arrived in the 39th minute, converted by Sexton again.

You’d be hard-pushed to say it wasn’t game over, save for the desperate hopes of a Twickenham-shaped miracle lingering in the memory.

Half-time: Ireland 26-0 Scotland

Scotland came out of the dressing room with some short-lived vigour, finally putting together some phases of attack before minor chaos descended.

Smith gave Sexton an ill-judged trip after play was past them, and it all kicked off. Peter O’Mahony was telling Duhan where he ranked in the grand pantheon of South African rugby players, Dan Sheehan was being suplexed over the advertising by Pierre Schoeman. Generally there was a glorious melee of shirt and collar tugging set to Martin Solveig & Dragonette’s dancefloor filler “Hello” on the stadium PA. Iconic stuff. 

With Smith now in the bin, it didn’t take long for Ireland to take advantage of the extra man, Sheehan recovering from his scuffle to score in the left corner and seal Scotland’s fate. 31-0. Down a man and out of the World Cup. 

They at least did a half-decent job of keeping their heads up, now unburdened by any shred of hope, but it was Ireland yet again who struck next, a deft crossfield kick finding Ringrose in acres of space. Jack Crowley clipped the post with the afters. 36-0. 

Small consolation came when Sione Tuipolotu put Ewan Ashman away in the corner for his fourth Scotland try, and again moments later when Huw Jones found his feet to get away from the defense, releasing Smith inside, Ali Price finishing it off despite rapidly running out of gas. 

There was to be no glorious comeback this time though.

Final score, Ireland 36 – Scotland 14.

SRBlog Player of the Match: It was another big shift from number 8 Jack Dempsey that saw him leading the way with most tackles (12) as well as leading the forward’s attacking stats with 64 metres made.

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