So that’s that from me. It’s been very enjoyable and we will speak soon, no doubt.
In the meantime, it’s Le Crunch. And England’s chance of a Slam. Dan Lucas has the MBM for that here. Go say hi and play nice, folks!
Looks like the players kissed and made up at the end of term after a fractious last quarter.
I enjoyed that, and thank you for joining me. It was pretty fast and loose and both sides were good value. Stuart Hogg’s try was blooming marvellous but the Irish were good value. The ref didn’t fancy the Scots I’d say, and their two yellow cards were extremely costly indeed, with 19 points shifted while they were down to 14. Greig Laidlaw looks pretty peeved as he chats to Martin Bayfield.
Here’s some of today’s fun in video form:
Hogg’s marvellous try is here:
And then, shortly after, his mix up with Seymour that led to Earls’ try
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So, some news for you! Scotland have finished with a positive points difference for the first time in the Six Nations era! How mad is that?!
These two are both mid-table lads, but the Irish now can’t finish 5th, as theyhad feared. If England take the Slam, Ireland will be third and the Scots fourth.
Full-time: Ireland 35-25 Scotland
Eoin Reddan is on for Murray and I think he wants to finish itnstraight from the scrum, but Heaslip’s having none of it, picking and going. After some nice rumble from the forwards it comes to nothing with a knock on and that, as they say, is that. Fun game, that, with seven tries. Weird, but fun.
79 min Oh dear, Josh Strauss knocks on from the kick off. That’s rubbish.
Try! (Dunbar 78) Ireland 35-25 Ireland
Dunbar’s back and crosses straight away! There are some lovely flucky hands from the back and over he goes in the corner. Laidlaw misses the conversion as they all rush back.
77 min Sutherland, on debut, is heavily involvwd in some meaty carrying from the Sctos but they cannae get through. There’s another penalty which Lamont taps as Dubar returns to the fray.
Yellow card! Sexton, 76
Scotland float it long to Barclay, and rumble a maul. Again, they look like scoring and again the penalty comes. Surely it’s card time? Yeah, off Sexton is sent. Laidlaw taps and goes.
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75 min Scotland are burrowing away and Laidlaw almist goes over, before another penalty and more handbags come. No idea why, but there’s loads of niggle out there. The pen is five metres out and sent to the corner again.
74 min Eventually they getright down into the left corner, and they think they’ve been obstructed. It’s a late tackle an an obstruction from Trimble on Barclay (who had kicked!) and Sctoland send it to the corner.
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73 min Somehow Scotland come away with it from the scrum and they run from deep again. Dunbar still has four minutes in the bin but his team mates don’t seem to care a great deal. They are running from everywhere, and aren’t getting too far in wide narrow channels.
71 min After a brief bit of maul fun, that’s lovely stuff from Ireland in midfield. Payne’s run is lovely and it’s a vintage Irish wrap around but eventuallythe ball goes forward as it looks like it might all be opening up.
70 mins Sexton nurdles another lovely nudge through, and Hogg slices it out.
69 min Looks like Horne’s attempted tackle on Toner as he went over is what caused the brouhaha. Who knows though. The wheels have really come off for Scotland and they’ve kicked it out on the full from the restart again, which is just rubbish rugby. No excuses. Ireland will win this now.
Scotland have lost their heads and will lose this game.
— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) March 19, 2016
Try! (Toner, 68) Ireland 35-20 Scotland
Scotland are immediately punished, as there’s a maul and Ireland take it through the hands and Toner rumbles over under the posts for his first Test try. Immediately after there’s masses of handbags, involving just about everyone on the field. As Sexton converts, the skips are told off. I’ve no idea how or why that all happened.
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Some suggesting Sexton may have been looking for it...
Come on sexton we are not footballers.
— Lewis Moody (@LewisMoody7) March 19, 2016
Yellow card! Dunbar, 67
Best aims for Ryan but Scotland pinch it and run once more. What’s happened here? Sexton looks to have been sort of flicked over, and it’s not that pretty. Dunbar the offender, looks like he’s turned him beyind the horizontal, which spells trouble. Penalty given but there’s a yellow card too. Tricky to officiate that, but I agree with the outcome. Penalty to Ireland on halfway.
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66 min Sexton stays on and kicks for touch. Rory Sutherland is on for debut for Scotland. Well done that man.
65 min The high risk stuff continues from Scotland as McInally and Taylor trade passes nicely, but eventually the ball goes forward and there’s a penalty too. Sexton looks in some discomfort, and his ankle is being strapped.
64 min From the scrum, Sexton threads one down toward Hogg on the left hand side, who returns it to Zebo, who has a lovely little dart before Sexton grubbers again. Horne does brilliantly not to be turned over and the penalty comes, which Laidlaw takes quickly. They go from deep again.
62 min Weir kicks for - and finds - touch but it’s his last act as he’s replaced by Peter Horne. Expect Scotland to be a wee bit more fluid now. Silky operator is Horne. McInally has done well since coming on and he finds Swinson, but off the top it’s knocked on in the midfield by a grizzled looking Alex Dunbar. Harley replaced Swinson.
61 min Up Scotland trundle forward as the Irish crowd make themselves heard. Scotland are still trying to run from deep! They really don’t want to kick. As I type that, Weir kicks. Long and into space it goes and OPayne leads the charge back. Sexton and Visser trade kicks before Weir goes on a meander and earns a penalty as O’Donnell comes in at the side again.
59 min Ryan flicks off the top, and Murray has half a break after one phase. Down the near side they go, but eventually Zebo knocks on. Scotland run from very deep! Long passes on their own line aren’t adviasable but they work, and they escape.
58 min Nel rumbles forward, and finally Duncan Weir kicks, but that’s not clever. It’s gone straight out because Zebo takes it smarly with one foor in and one out. Ireland throw just outside the 22.
57 min Scotland are still in this and I’m not really sure how! Duncan Taylor is having another good game. I’m a massive fan of his work. They run from deep before a cross kick comes in which Tommy Seymour takes well. They still can’t get out of their 22, mind.
Try! (Richie Gray 55) Ireland 28-20 Scotland
McInally finds Big Swino and it comes out to Visser, who half-breaks. Taylor takes them to within five, McInally and Nel carry. Ireland slow it down but commit too many men, so when it comes out to Gray he’s able to just amble over unopposed. Nice try. Laidlaw adds two from in front.
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53 min This is Scotland’s first put in! Long time coming, eh. Laidlaw gets it back and feeeds out to Seymour who charges. Huge hit goes in from Payne on Weit but there’s a penalty given against O’Donnell for coming in at the side. Weir sends it to the the corner. Strauss on for Hardie.
52 min Some phaseplay from the Scots, for once. Eventually Earls dirupts but it’s knocked on and goes out and all sorts of other fumbles. Scrum to Scotland in the Irish half.
50 min Ireland kick long from their 22 to Hogg, who sets off on one of his darts. McInally’s on for Ford, by the way. Visser loses the ball in contact, and Zebo fires a beautiful kick downfield. Doesn’t go into touch.
Try! (Murray, 48) Ireland 28-13 Scotland
Scotland don’t challenge and Tommy O’Donnell’s got the ball at the back of the rolling maul, as Ireland chug forward. They get close but Scotland defend stoically. But Murray has crept through from close range! Nel was drawn in and Murray just crept round to score. Smart finish. Murray the first Irish scrum-half to score three tries in the Six Nations, if stats are your thing. Sexton adds the extras.
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47 min Toner claims Best’s throw, and the Scots give away a penalty. We go again.
46 min O’Donnell charges through the middle, and Payne offloads to Henshaw who breaks down the near side. Eventually, just at the big moment, Weir nips in and runs it out in the corner. Vital interception and Ireland have a lineout.
45 min Ireland keep it pretty tight and another contestable bomb goes up, which Weir takes well on halway. Scorland probe, but don’t get far, and Weit kicks to Zebo, who recycles.
43 min The scrums have been strangely steady so far in this match but we have a reset here, of course we do. It’s Ireland’s put in just outside their 22. So blooming frustrating. Eventually Heaslip picks up at the base and then Sexton kicks downfield. Hogg sends it back and Murray fields well.
41 min A little Weir half-break take Scotland out of the 22 and Ireland give away a penalty. Laidlaw takes it quickly and through his hands and Hogg’s they make about 4o metres, before Swinson and Dunbar give some go-forward. Richie Gray rumbles up on the left hand side before Weir throws a forward pass which Seymour knocks on. Silly Scotland.
The second haf is underway...
The payers are out and we are off. Ireland had an absured 81% possession in the first half, but only lead by 8. Sexton gets us going.
Here’s that Hogg score. It really is very lovely indeed.
Does anyone have that try’s number? Think I want to run off to Paris with it. My parents would certainly approve if I introduced them to it.
TRY! A moment of magic from Stuart Hogg – brought to you by @PeugeotUK #PeugeotRugby #IREvSCO
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) March 19, 2016
https://t.co/w8xoy71y2A
This was Scotland’s calamitous moment that led to Ireland’s second try. Johnny Sexton’s lovely dinky nudge bounced awkwardly for Hogg and Seymour, and it bounced into Keith Earls’ hands. Easy.
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Dan Lucas, MBMer-in-chief, has just given me a very neat little stat. On the outrageous mazy run for his score, Stuart Hogg ran 59 metres. The Scots have made just 87 metres with ball in hand all half! CJ Stander on his own, made 16 carries on his own that half. Serious effort.
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Half-time! Ireland 21-Scotland 13
...and that’ the last action of the half. It’s been a bit of a mess, to be honest. The Scottish penalty count - the breakdown has been particularly tricky for them - has been astronomical, and the Irish back row have been outstanding.
We have, however, seen a belter of a try from Stuart Hogg. Will try find a video of it for you ASAP. Ludicrous run. Ludicrous player.
Let’s speak in five when I’ve calmed down.
Penalty! (Laidlaw, 40) Ireland 21-Scotland 13
Evenutally, with the Irish trying to counter-attack, the Scots turn the ball over and the penalty comes. 42 metres out and slightly to the left, Laidlaw has no hesitation in going for the posts. Through it goes and the flags go up.
38 min Ford finds Gray at the lineout, and Duncan Taylor goes for a wee rumble in the midfield. It goes wide and Dunbar carries. Going back the other way, Taylor finds a neat flick and it’s kicked into the 22, where the bounce denies the Scots. The ball is refusing to go out of play!
36 min Eventually the Scots get a penalty at the breakdown, and John Barclay will return to the field. Great work from WP Nel. Weir kicks to the right hand touch line.
35 min John Hardie hasn’t had his most conspicuous game of the season but he’s making a nuisance of himself in the air and on the floor now. Ireland go wide and it finds McGrath who recycles and it comes back to Heaslip who brings some thunder. Just probing away are Ireland.
33 min Ireland just let the Scots claim the lineout but the ball is turned over in the first phase, and a bomb goes up, which the dashing Hogg can’t gather.
“I can never read or hear the words ‘What a score’ without putting on my best Cliff Morgan voice and imagining that Gareth Edwards try,” writes Simon McMahon. WHAT A SCORE that was indeed.
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32 min Costly yellow card for the Scots, was Barclay’s. He’s still got a minute in the bin. A better kick off calms things down, Stander carries once more and Sexton kicks to touch near halfway.
Try! (Earls 29) Ireland 21-10 Scotland
And from the resultant scrum, the Irish win a penalty, which they run. They are making all the running, as they say. Sexton nudges it delicately with his left peg between Seymour and Hogg on the left hand side of the 22, the bounce bemuses them, it flicks off both men and Keith Earls is on hand to just pick it up and touch it down. Sexton misses from wide on the left.
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28 min Hogg’s moment of genius aside, the Scots have been a bit village. As if to prove that, Weir send the kick off straight out.
Try! (Stander, 26) Ireland 16-10 Scotland
Stander at the heart of all of Ireland’s good work here. He’s already done 11 carries, which is ludicous. McGrath is held up on the line, but there’s an arm underneath. Now But Stander just grabs it again and dives over/round/through the ruck to score. Or has he? We are going upstairs to see if there’s some obstruction from Tommy O’Donnell. It’s taking a blooming age to decide. But it’s given! And Sexton adds two about 15 minutes after the ball was touched down.
25 min Ireland go to the back at the lineout and the Scots compete, but the Irish secure it. Out it comes, Stander has a rumble and they are just so close. Another penalty against the Scots! Their seventh and I haven’t actually spotte what this one’s for. Captain Laidlaw is being told off again. To the corner once more.
Yellow card! Barclay, 24
The rumble is on again. The ball goes out and Best and Henshaw carry forward. The Scots have killed the ball again and the ref spots it. Oh, it’s John Barclay. That’s his third and he’s off to the bin in his 50th cap. Ireland send it to the corner.
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23 min The game has come to life just as I said it was dead. Ireland rumble forward with a rolling maul to calm the game down and they earn another penalty. As if to prove that the game is alive, they go for the corner from a very kickable penalty.
Guy enjoyed that one as much as I did. Outrageous scenes from Hogg. Right now, he’s my Lions 15 for 2017.
Now THAT is a try. Shades of Andy Irvine @willis_macp for the older ones among us. Hogg is such an intelligent player, spotting the gaps.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) March 19, 2016
Try! (Hogg, 20) Ireland 9-Scotland 10
The scrum is solid and the Irish run from deep, with Sexton doing his absolkute favourite wrap around. Eventually the kick goes up and it finds Hogg, who is presented with a rather nice gapto break through. Break through he does (a couple of font rowers left for dead), what a turn of pace that is and he scythes through all the way! 60 metres. Outrageous run, but where on earth did the defence go? Laidlaw makes it seven. WHAT A SCORE.
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18 min Remember that open, expansive game I envisioned. Yeah, not so much. The Scots knock at the kick off and Ireland have a put in in their own 22.
Penalty! (Sexton, 16) Ireland 9-3 Scotland
Kickers worth their stripes don’t miss them, and Sexton is well worth his stripes.
Brutal from Andy, I rather like Earls’s unpredictability...
@willis_macp I'm sure I do him a great disservice, but what exactly is Keith Earls for?
— AndyinBrum (@AndyinBrum) March 19, 2016
15 min Tim Swinson gathers beautifully from the kick off but about a phase later the Scots have given another penalty away atthe breakdown! Right in front, 30 out. Peculiar, that’s the fourth they have given away.
Penalty! (Laidlaw, 14) Ireland 6-3 Scotland
Perfect silence for the kick, which is scored of course. That’s 500 points for Laidlaw in Tests. Marvellous effort that, as Richie Benaud would have said.
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13 min Now they’ve got their hands on it and they find some phases arouynd the 22. And, of course, it leads to a penalty, as Mike Ross just wouldn’t move. Laidlaw is looking a bit groggy after taking a blow to the head but he’s up to take the kick. It’s on the 22 and slightly to the right.
Penalty! (Sexton, 12) Ireland 6-0 Scotland
He’s kicked this one very hard indeed, and it sails through. Big roar. Scots still haven’t really had the ball.
11 min There’s another penalty against the Scots and Greig Laidlaw is getting a talking to. WP Nel slowing the ball down this time. Sexton to kick for goal once more, 40 out, slightly to the right.
10 min he’s missed that. 40 metres out and to the left, but pretty simple. Mmm. It was Barclay giving the penalty away once more.
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8 min Trimble has been venturing off his wing to good effect, and a KeithEarls charge creates a huge roar. There’s another penalty here, and Sexton’s going for the posts once again.
8 min Another lovely Irish nidge gives the Scots a lineout, which they win safely and Weir sends another bomb up to Zebo, who takes well under pressure. Nice start from Ireland this. Scotland’s set piece looks good but they have not had the ball at all.
Penalty! (Sexton 5) Ireland 3-0 Scotland
Of course he doesn’t miss. Just to the right of the posts and it sails through. Takes him past David Humphreys on the Irish all-time point scorers.
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4 min It’s a remarkably steady scrum and the ball actually comes out quickly. Ireland go right and there’s some slick play from Zebo and Sexton in midfield, before they come left . Loads of points of attacks and some fine hands. As they go right again, a penalty is given against John Barclay, looks a bit stiff to me as he was on his feet. Sexton to kick at goal and it’s a simple one.
2 min Scotland win that lineout and Laidlaw gets a kick away. Everyone is kicking loads, and eventually it’s shelled by the Scots under pressure. Irish scrum. Scots have had a good season at scrum time.
And we're off!
1 min Dunc Weir getsus underway and we have a bit of kick tennis, which Weir and Andrew Trimble field well. It comes back to Sexton who just nudges a quite delicious kick into the right hand corner over Tim Visser’s head. Scotland lienout on the five metre line.
Agree with this completely. Hogg my player of the season.
@willis_macp two running full backs both with springs in their steps, this will be a humdinger. Ireland 2 win but it'll be close.
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) March 19, 2016
Anthems review:
Particularly jaunty rendition of Flower of Scotland. Enjoyed that.
The Irish double header was as heartily sung as ever, although not very tunefully by the players - particularly when the cameraman hovered near Cian Healy. Ireland’s call was so good I found myself humming. Lovely stuff.
Tracksuits off, time to go. The players, not me.
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Dignatries are being dignatries at the moment. Lots of smiles and handshakes.
I’m absolutely chomping at the bit for a pair of mighty anthems.
You want the teams, don’t you? Here you go:
IRELAND: S Zebo (Munster), A Trimble (Ulster), J Payne (Ulster), R Henshaw (Connacht), K Earls (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); J McGrath (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), D Toner (Leinster), CJ Stander (Ulster), T O’Donnell (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: R Strauss (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), N White (Connacht), U Dillane (Connacht), R Ruddock (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), I Madigan (Leinster), F McFadden (Leinster).
SCOTLAND: S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors); T Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), D Taylor (Saracens), A Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), T Visser (Harlequins), D Weir (Glasgow Warriors), G Laidlaw (Gloucester); A Dickinson (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), W Nel (Edinburgh), R Gray (Castres), T Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), J Barclay (Scarlets), J Hardie (Edinburgh), R Wilson (Glasgow Warriors).
Replacements: S McInally (Edinburgh), R Sutherland (Edinburgh), M Low (Exeter Chiefs), R Harley (Glasgow Warriors), J Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), H Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), P Horne (Glasgow Warriors), S Lamont (Glasgow Warriors).
That’s one change for the Irish, with Tommy O’Donnell coming in on the openside, and three for Scotland, with Weir and Swinson replacing Russell and Jonny Gray, and Ryan Wilson returning at No8 for Josh Strauss. They’ve both enjoyed fine Championships.
You can fill the last ten minutes before kick off by reading clever Ian Malin’s clever report of Wales’s win over Italy in Cardiff.
Preamble
Well hello there. Will Macpherson on deck for the Guardian’s minute-by-minute coverage of the penultimate game of the 2016 Six Nations Championship, Ireland v Scotland. My colleague Dan Lucas has guided you through every minute of the season so far, but he’s going to take a couple of minutes out to ready himself for the big one later on. That’s England’s grand slam tilt in Paris, if you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks.
In the meantime, we have the not insignificant (that’s a dirty double negative for you) matter of Ireland taking on the Scots. There’s plenty at stake here; the Scots are chasing a third consecutive win for the first time in 20 (twenty) years (I was 5 (five) then), while the Irish are looking to avoid the indignity of finishing fifth in the tabl. Defeat would confirm that only Italy finish below them. It’s been a blooming frustrating old season for the Irish, and they could really do with winning today. The Scots have never won at the Aviva.
I fancy that this will be a fine game. It’s the end of the season, so there should be some slightly better underfoot conditions and both sides have some sexy backs to expolit that. The Scots have played some lovely stuff in the last fortnight, although are missing their silkist-in-chief Finn Russell, and the slightyly more prosaic Duncan Weir has taken his spot at stand-off, as they say in the Borders. Their two jackalling flankers will most definitely be going after Ireland’s No10, Jonny Sexton, who the good men of ITV have already been doing a banter or two about because he was late for the team photo yesterday! Late! What is he like? Jamie Heaslip seemed to think it was hilarious.
Anyway, get in touch! You can email me at the absurdly combersome will.macpherson.freelance@theguardian.com or keep things pithy on the twitters at @willis_macp. Come at me, people. We’ve about 15 minutes until lift-off. Enjoy.
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Will is going to be here any minute. In the meantime, read Michael Aylwin’s verdict on how Vern Cotter has transformed Scotland.
Or relive the action from Cardiff, where Wales put Italy to the sword.
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