Ireland beat Scotland to win the Triple Crown and keep their Six Nations title hopes alive, ending Scotland’s trophy dreams.
In a full-blooded Dublin encounter, Ireland held off a spirited second-half surge from Scotland to deny Gregor Townsend’s side a first Triple Crown since 1990 and a possible first championship since 1999.
The bonus-point victory moves the Irish three points clear of holders France.
Ireland Secure Triple Crown in Dublin
In a raucous Aviva Stadium atmosphere, Ireland full-back Jamie Osborne and Scotland wing Darcy Graham traded early tries before Dan Sheehan and Robert Baloucoune crossed to give the Irish a 19-7 half-time lead.
Scotland raised hopes of a first win in Dublin since 2010 when Finn Russell and Rory Darge scored either side of Darragh Murray’s bonus-point score for the hosts.
However, Scotland were left shattered following a rousing finish from Ireland as Tommy O’Brien scored twice to spark ecstatic celebrations among the home support.
The win seals Ireland’s fourth Triple Crown in five years.
Key Moments From the Match
- Jamie Osborne ran in under the posts in the third minute.
- Darcy Graham scampered clear in the corner for Scotland.
- Dan Sheehan peeled off the resultant maul to score.
- Tommy O’Brien scored twice to seal the win for Ireland.
Farrell’s Reaction to Ireland’s Win
The starting back three of Jamie Osborne, Tommy O’Brien and Rob Baloucoune scored four of Ireland’s six tries.
Given the stakes, a cagey start would have been excused, but these old rivals had other ideas during a thunderously captivating first half.
As has often been the case in this fixture recently, Ireland struck first when the in-form Osborne ran in under the posts in the third minute for his fourth try of the tournament. A scrum penalty against Zander Fagerson had given the hosts their platform to attack.
But Scotland scored 40 unanswered points after falling behind against France last week and they were unmoved by Ireland’s early salvo as they expertly navigated 19 phases before Graham scampered clear in the corner.
Graham was caught offside following the restart, however, and Jack Crowley kicked to the corner, with Sheehan peeling off the resultant maul to score.
Scotland again pushed for immediate retaliation, but their momentum was killed when Stuart McCloskey’s crunching tackle on Russell turned the ball over in Ireland’s favour.
Then, in Ireland’s next meaningful attack, McCloskey swung a killer pass out to Baloucoune, who shrugged off Graham to score in the corner.
Ireland’s win leaves Andy Farrell’s side with an anxious wait to see if England can do them a favour at the Stade de France.