Hey everyone. It’s Super Saturday — and Ireland are gunning for back-to-back Six Nations titles.
That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
Gavan Casey with you here and I’ll be bringing you live updates from the Aviva Stadium as Ireland face Scotland, who have a Triple Crown on the line themselves.
Looks like there’s going to be a late change to the Ireland team, which I’ll bring you shortly.
Hugo Keenan is a last-minute withdrawal for Ireland, and he’ll be replaced by Jordan Larmour at fullback.
It’s Larmour’s first start for Ireland since 2021.
Ireland otherwise unchanged, with Larmour coming from outside the matchday 23 straight into the starting lineup.
Worth noting, as well, that Jack Crowley hasn’t been taking any kicks in the warm-up, and his left knee is strapped up. Looks to be moving okay, though.
Still, Jaysus!
- 15. Jordan Larmour
- 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
The Scots look set to line out as named. Two changes for them from the side that fell to Italy in Rome.
Glasgow centre Stafford McDowall comes into the number 12 shirt, while Ben White returns to the side at scrum-half. That means Cameron Redpath and George Horne, who started last weekend’s defeat to Italy, drop to the bench.
This will be McDowall’s Six Nations debut and just his second Test cap as the 26-year-old gets his chance in the number 12 shirt with key man Sione Tuipulotu absent due to injury.
- 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.
Well, in light of that Hugo Keenan news, how are ya feelin’?
Poll Results:
An unexpectedly huge day for this man…
Donncha O’Callaghan is MCing affairs from the pitch and he’s doing a marvelous job getting the crowd going — including the Scots.
His voice is under serious strain, though. Fear for him.
1′ – IRE 0-0 SCO: Finn Russell gets us underway at Lansdowne Road.
Here we go!
1′ – IRE 0-0 SCO: Dan Sheehan wins a jackal penalty off the Scots almost immediately. Crowley, from midfield, takes Ireland to the Scottish 22′ but the lineout is won uncleanly. Tadhg Beirne eventually spills forward in contact.
5′ – IRE 0-0 SCO: Half-chance for Scotland as James Lowe has an exit kick charged down but it dribbles into touch just out of Scottish reach.
Ireland botch the lineout but Joe McCarthy strips Zander Fagerson in contact and Ireland escape.
7′ – IRE 0-0 SCO: Penalty Scotland just inside the Irish half as they’re pinged for going off their feet on their own ball at the breakdown.
Russell points to the sticks, right of centre, about 45 metres from goal.
8′ – IRE 0-3 SCO: Russell drains it. Super kick. Scotland lead after a sloppy Irish start.
11′ – IRE 0-3 SCO: Ireland apply pressure with a couple of lovely, dribbling kicks into the left-hand corner by both Crowley and Lowe.
They eventually win a penalty just outside the Scottish 22′, on the right edge. They opt for touch. Crowley kicks them to the Scottish 5′.
12′ IRE 0-0 SCO: Ireland try an intricate, short lineout move but the Scots are wise to it and bundle Sheehan into touch.
13′ – IRE 7-3 SCO: TRRRYYYYYY FOR IRELAND! OUT OF NOTHING! DAN SHEEHAN!!!
George Turner overthrows the Scottish lineout on his own 5′ and Sheehan claims it at pace at the back before crashing over for the score!
Brilliant awareness by Sheehan.
Crowley converts from a tricky angle on the right-hand side and Ireland lead 7-3, just like that.
18′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Finn Russell narrows the gap from the tee after an Irish offside outside their own 22′.
29′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Big moment by Stafford McDowall as he breaks a Bundee Aki tackle and surges clear. Ireland survive Scotland’s advances again.
It’s a tight game.
31′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Ireland win a penalty with their first put-in to the scrum.
A promising attack, however, breaks down in a choke tackle inside the Scottish 22′.
35′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Pierre Schoeman and Andy Christie are pinged for crossing between their own 10′ and the halfway line. That was very funny.
Crowley points towards the posts.
36′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Crowley misses wide left from range. Score remains 7-6 to Ireland.
38′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Ireland are just ‘off it’ again so far. It’s been a trudging kind of performance with very little sparkle.
The Scots are ‘on it’ — but without the players to truly take advantage to this point. They’ve defended exceptionally well, though.
42′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: A bit better from Ireland as the carve a half chance down the left through O’Mahony and Sheehan. The hooker’s offload finds grass, however, as he’s pushed towards touch, and Scotland chip and chase downfield.
Nash retreats well and scoops the loose ball before getting clothes-lined as he ducked out of a tackle.
Penalty only — and Ireland are back up at halfway with the clock red.
40′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Ireland’s last attack of the half yields little as Doris’ snap-pass misses O’Mahony and flies into touch.
Andy Farrell’s men have been the better side without being anywhere close to their best. Scotland have dug in — and they’re right in this game with a serious chance, albeit without creating much of note themselves.
Catch you in 15 minutes.
41′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: Crowley gets us back underway for the second half at Lansdowne Road.
Ireland need a big, big half here.
Championship on the line. Time to go.
42′ – IRE 7-6 SCO: It’s a sharp start to the second 40 by Ireland as Lowe cuts loose down the left edge, spinning out of a tackle and offloading inside to Aki.
Scotland impede in their own 22′ and there’s a straightforward three points on offer for Crowley, which he takes.
Just what the doctor ordered!
44′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Russell botches the Scottish restart, straight into touch. Home fans enjoyed that one.
Ireland scrum on halfway.
They win another penalty as Porter annihilates Fagerson!
Crowley kicks them into the Scottish 22′.
46′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Ireland go close after direct carries up the middle, Aki and Henshaw heavily involved. They eventually skip left but Gibson-Park’s pass eludes Larmour who was in acres of space.
They had a penalty advantage, though, and they’re going to tap and go from five!
48′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Tadhg Furlong has a try ruled out for a knock-on as he stretched for the line! Honestly, it looked like a try?
Aviva booing loudly. A let-off for Scotland either way, although they defended their line gallantly.
52′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Furlong off for a HIA — he was basically smashed in the head during his try attempt. On comes Finlay Bealham.
Ireland monster Scotland at the scrum again — Bealham huge! — and swing wide left. Nash chips and chases and Ireland pile pressure on the retreating Scots on their 5′ — but the visitors escape, kind of, with a tame box kick to touch by Ben White.
Ireland lineout inside the Scottish 22′.
54′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: A powerful carry by Henshaw — who’s been excellent — sets up and Irish attack right. Larmour finds Nash on an overlap down the right wing and Nash slaloms inside, to within a yard of the Scottish line!
But the Munster wing is unfortunate as he spills the ball while trying to wrestle it back to the Irish side.
Scotland get the scrum on their own 5′, and they eventually clear through White.
57′ – IRE `10-6 SCO: Scotland are pinged for offside on halfway as they make a real hames of an attack.
Garry Ringrose is on for Ireland on the right wing, replacing Nash who had a fine game.
57′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Crowley goes for everything from the penalty to touch on halfway. It skims Kinghorn’s fingers and into touch. Ireland lineout on the Scottish 5′.
58′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Ireland’s first attack hits a brick wall but they have a pen advantage and go back to touch on the 5′.
Big chance here now.
59′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: Scotland survive again after some unbelievable goal-line defence and, eventually, a poor knock-on by Ringrose.
Still way too close for comfort, this one, even though Ireland have been much improved — and by far the better team — in the second half.
The Scots’ defence has been exemplary, in fairness.
63′ – IRE 10-6 SCO: RIGNROSE SURGES DOWN THE RIGHT EDGE AFTER PICKING UP A LOOSE BALL!
He’s stopped by Duhan van der Merwe but Ireland have three penalty advantages five out.
They keep it tight before Gibson-Park unleashes Henshaw! But it looks like he’s held up over the line! Unreal defence — again — by Scotland and Cam Redpath.
Carley will check upstairs but this is coming back for an Irish penalty.
Yep, it does. But Ewan Ashman, replacement hooker for Scotland, is binned, too.
65′ – IRE 17-6 SCO: THERE IT IS! ANDREW POORRTTTERRRR!!!
Ireland tap and go from the Scottish 5′ and Porter applies the finish that they’ve been looking for, and probably deserved, all second half.
Crowley adds the afters from close range — and Ireland lead by 11, with just under a quarter of an hour to go at the Aviva!
68′ – IRE 17-6 SCO: A proper chorus of ‘The Fields’ reverberates around the stadium.
Ireland finally have some breathing space — but there’s still work to be done to close this out.
67′ – IRE 17-6 SCO: By the way, Peter O’Mahony went off for Jack Conan a few minutes ago. He received a thundering ovation in what looks increasingly like it might be his final game in green.
He had a good game, too, the skipper.
70′ – IRE 17-6 SCO: Kyle Rowe hammers a kick out on the full from well outside his 22′. The Scots get up after the Irish lineout but did so illegally, says Matthew Carley.
Harry Byrne, on for Jordan Larmour (with Crowley gone to 15), prods Ireland into touch about seven shy of the Scottish paint.
72′ – IRE 17-6 SCO: Scotland stop the Irish maul and win a scrum. Missed opportunity to kill the game, there, for Ireland.
But they’re inching closer to the title.
76′ – IRE 17-6 SCO: Harry Byrne receives a yellow card and a bunker referral for a high, awkward challenge on Finn Russell.
Scotland need to score quickly here if they’re to have a chance of breaking Irish hearts.
78′ – IRE 17-13 SCO: AND SCOTLAND DO SCORE A TRY! AND THIS IS NOW VERY INTERESTING!
Huw Jones cuts a hole through the Irish defence and takes one under the sticks.
Russell converts quickly.
A Scottish try will win it. Two minutes to go.
79′ – IRE 17-13 SCO: The Aviva erupts as Scotland knock on just inside their own 10′.
Harry Byrne’s yellow will remain a yellow, for what it’s worth.
Irish scrum with 40 seconds to go!
Championship within reach.
Full-time — Ireland 17-13 Scotland: THEY’VE DONE IT!
IRELAND ARE SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONS!
And breathe!
Championship games are for winning, and that’s exactly what Ireland did in the end — without being near their best, it must be said.
Credit to the Scots who put in one hell of a defensive shift and gave the hosts a fright at the end.
Ultimately, though, Ireland have won back-to-back championships, and their 16th ever, with a 17-13 victory at the Aviva.
Thanks everyone for joining us for live updates. Keep an eye on The 42 for a full report, reaction and analysis.
Enjoy your evenings!
