ONE OF THE good things about Ireland’s games against Scotland is that there tend to be lots of flare-ups and flashpoints. Some people might tut-tut but the truth is that everyone enjoys seeing teams get stuck into each other.
In the modern game, it rarely spills into all-out fighting but a bit of push-and-shove with a few choice words never fails to excite the crowd. As Ireland and Scotland both look to bounce back from disappointments in today’s Six Nations clash in Dublin [KO 4.45pm, Virgin Media], it should have the usual levels of spice.
Even as Ireland hammered Scotland at the World Cup last year, powering into a 36-0 lead in the second half, there were schemozzles. Scotland prop Pierre Schoeman pushed Dan Sheehan over an advertising hoarding at one stage, while Peter O’Mahony squared up to a bunch of Scots a few metres away. There was sledging aplenty as Ireland then built their dominant lead. O’Mahony and co. sowed it into the Scots verbally.
We’ve seen the edge in games between the Irish provinces and Scottish clubs over the years too and though the relationship between fans off the pitch is amicable, there’s no doubt this fixture produces a real edge.
“Well look, I think it’s a competitive game and both teams always get stuck in and that’s what you want, you want both teams flat out,” said O’Mahony yesterday.
“And we’re not playing tennis or golf, you know what I mean? It’s a physical game and you’ve got to get stuck in and you’ve got to be on the edge, and that’s rugby, like.”
Ireland have been dominant over the past decade. The last time Scotland won this fixture was in 2017 in Edinburgh. Finn Russell, Zander Fagerson, and Huw Jones are the only starters from that day who are in their XV again today.
The Scots’ most recent win in Dublin was in 2010 at Croke Park so this has been a big ask for them.
Both sides come into today’s clash with points to prove. Ireland after seeing their Grand Slam dream ended with defeat to England last weekend, the Scots after slipping up away to Italy.
Both are playing for silverware here. Scoland can claim their first Triple Crown since 1990 which would be a huge deal for them.
Ireland can clinch the Six Nations title with a win, a draw, or two losing bonus points. Anything less and Andy Farrell’s men would have to wait for the outcome of England’s clash with France in Lyon at 8pm to learn if they were Six Nations champions. Losing to Scotland but still claiming the title would be a terrible way to do it, even if titles shouldn’t be sneered at.
It has helped focus Irish minds even further that they were disappointed with last year’s Grand Slam-clinching display against England. Today, they want to secure the Six Nations title with a bang.
“We weren’t very happy with that performance,” said O’Mahony. “I think performances like that, the All Blacks game [at the World Cup], the game last weekend, stand to us.
“Going back to even the France game a few years ago [in Paris in 2020] where we had the opportunity to win the championship and didn’t turn up, I think that particular game stood to us a long time after that experience.
“You need to be able to use them and bank them, the stress, the pressure of the whole occasion, and using all those examples to fill your toolbank of how to negate them and how to be better in those performances.”
Ireland had to lick their wounds for a few days after Twickenham last Saturday but they were soon focused on the exciting prospect of claiming the Six Nations crown for the second year in a row.
There has been some chat that a championship success could be devalued after Ireland were so close to back-t0-back Grand Slams, but O’Mahony scoffs at that idea.
“It’s so rare,” said O’Mahony. “I know we’ve had a few in our most recent history but going back over a long period, we’re way down the list of championships won [15].
“You’re talking about back-to-back championships and no one has done it because it’s so hard, that’s why.
“You’ve got to win 10 championship games in a row, win five away from home. It’s unbelievably difficult to win a game away from home in this championship if you look at the stats across the board.
“So this is everything to us, absolutely everything to us, another championship.
“It’s probably a manner of the Irish psyche, ‘Jesus, another championship,’ you know what I mean? When all of a sudden a few years ago you’d have taken your arm and your leg off for one.
“We’re still in the same boat, it matters a massive amount to us. It’s what we’re here for, that’s the be-all and end-all of it, we’re here to win a championship for our country and it couldn’t mean any more to us.”
Ireland are always strongly focused on their own performance rather than obsessing over the opposition and they have plenty to improve upon after last weekend. They’ll want a commanding lineout and maul performance, more thrust in their attack, and a stronger defensive performance.
The Irish defence had a rare off day in Twickenham as they conceded three tries and eight linebreaks, as well as repeatedly losing the gainline to English carriers.
They know the likes of Duhan van der Merwe, Jones, and the creative Russell will be looking to pick them apart today, so there is a major focus on being watertight.
“It wasn’t where we wanted to be,” said O’Maony of the Irish defence against England.
“I thought the intensity that the English brought, we stood off a little bit and it is going to be massively important that we get our defensive performance right on point because when Scotland are allowed to play, they are probably one of the best attacking teams in the world.”
The biggest challenge for Scotland will be the physical one and the selection of Stafford McDowall for his second cap at inside centre ahead of the smaller Cameron Redpath is probably an acknowledgement of that as they look to handle Bundee Aki’s ball-carrying.
The return of Ben White at scrum-half should improve their kicking game and it was notable that Scotland went away from that more disciplined, tighter approach against the Italians and threw a huge tally of 25 offloads. An element of looseness was damaging, so they seem likely to kick more today through White and Russell, who should still have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Even though Ireland have opted for a 5/3 bench this weekend rather than a 6/2, they should still get oomph from it in the second half. It’s not as if 5/3 benches can’t impact games in a big way.
Garry Ringrose’s return among the replacements adds another quality player to the mix. With Farrell backing an unchanged starting XV to prove a point after last weekend and with the title on the line, one suspects Ireland should have enough to get the job done. They want to do it in a comprehensive fashion.
Ireland:
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Calvin Nash
- 13. Robbie Henshaw
- 12. Bundee Aki
- 11. James Lowe
- 10. Jack Crowley
- 9. Jamison Gibson-Park
- 1. Andrew Porter
- 2. Dan Sheehan
- 3. Tadhg Furlong
- 4. Joe McCarthy
- 5. Tadhg Beirne
- 6. Peter O’Mahony (captain)
- 7. Josh van der Flier
- 8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
- 16. Rónan Kelleher
- 17. Cian Healy
- 18. Finlay Bealham
- 19. Ryan Baird
- 20. Jack Conan
- 21. Conor Murray
- 22. Harry Byrne
- 23. Garry Ringrose
Scotland:
- 15. Blair Kinghorn
- 14. Kyle Steyn
- 13. Huw Jones
- 12. Stafford McDowall
- 11. Duhan van der Merwe
- 10. Finn Russell (co-captain)
- 9. Ben White
- 1. Pierre Schoeman
- 2. George Turner
- 3. Zander Fagerson
- 4. Grant Gilchrist
- 5. Scott Cummings
- 6. Andy Christie
- 7. Rory Darge (co-captain)
- 8. Jack Dempsey
Replacements:
- 16. Ewan Ashman
- 17. Rory Sutherland
- 18. Elliot Millar-Mills
- 19. Sam Skinner
- 20. Matt Fagerson
- 21. George Horne
- 22. Cameron Redpath
- 23. Kyle Rowe
Referee: Matthew Carley [RFU].
- This article was updated at 8.49am to correct an error stating that Scotland had last won this fixture in 2013. They last won the fixture in 2017.
