Ireland 43-21 Scotland
Andy Farrell’s side run in six tries in dominant display
In sporting vernacular Scotland have long looked on Dublin as a ‘hard place to go’. Roughly an hour’s flight time from Edinburgh, they get to stay in a decent hotel, play in a relatively modern stadium with good facilities, against modestly resourced opponents, and in conditions they could never describe as alien. Despite this comforting familiarity, ever since Dan Parks nailed a touchline penalty at Croke Park in 2010 to scuttle Ireland’s triple crown voyage they have associated this fixture with trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube wearing oven gloves.
On it goes. Faced with the losing run in the fixture hitting a dozen, Scotland did their best to change the narrative. On a bright and bracing day in front of a full house, paying crazy money for the privilege, Scotland played their part in an enthralling game for no reward. Ireland’s bonus point win gives them a triple crown in a season where that prize exceeds its usual merit.
In a game where Ireland had a squabble over the man-of-the-match award – Tom O’Toole with 19 tackles, Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan and Stuart McCloskey – it went to Doris, who was tireless.
