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Hello all and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of Ireland vs. Scotland in today's second Six Nations showdown.
This time last year Ireland were flying and Scotland down in the dumps, but 12 months on things are a little different. Joe Schmidt's men are in something of a transition phase and play today merely to save face after defeats by France and England. Scotland, however, are hunting a rare third win in the tournament, having put Italy and France to the sword in their last two outings. Victory in Dublin for Vern Cotter's side would be some achievement, but the squad certainly has the talent to pull it off.
ESPN's Rob Bartlett is our man at the Aviva Stadium and he'll be providing nuggets of insight throughout the afternoon. Give him a follow here and keep it with ESPN for the latest updates and commentary from Dublin.
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As the smoke clears from the pre-match pyrotechnics, a game of rugby-tennis unfolds. Both sides take it in turns to clear their lines with big boots, before Johnny Sexton knocks it into touch deep inside the Scottish 22.
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Yikes! Terrible handling skills from Scotland's Ryan Wilson there. He goes up to collect a high ball but gets his body position all wrong to produce a monster knock on. He'll be hoping that's the first and last of the afternoon.
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| 4 |
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Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw combine nicely in midfield for Ireland and the hosts win a penalty after John Barclay handles off his feet in the resulting ruck.
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| 5 |
3 - 0 |
Sexton steps up to boot Ireland into an early lead.
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| 7 |
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| 8 |
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Ireland are enjoying the lion's share of possession but it's all on the halfway line. Little progress being made by either side as the forwards go piling into one another.
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| 9 |
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That's more like it from Ireland. They inch into Scottish territory before centre Keith Earls bursts through the tackle to make it to the visitors' 22. Scotland are penalised for not rolling away and Sexton has another kick at goal...
...which, would you believe, he misses! That just moments after bettering David Humphreys' tally for Ireland.
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| 10 |
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| 12 |
6 - 0 |
Sexton makes amends from the tee to put Ireland 6-0 up. It's not the explosive start Wales made against Italy, but it's a useful early lead in what's likely to be a far closer encounter.
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6 - 3 |
Ireland concede a penalty after refusing to release in the tackle. Greig Laidlaw shakes off a knock to step up and put Scotland on the scoreboard. Possession has been 90 percent in Ireland's favour so far, so Scotland must be pleased to be just three points down.
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9 - 3 |
Sexton responds to Laidlaw's penalty with another Ireland score. You get the sense a try for either side might be enough at this rate. It's a scratchy affair so far with little in the way of free-running rugby.
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| 19 |
9 - 8 |
Try! Stuart Hogg gathers the high ball inside Scotland's half. He spots a gap in the Irish defence and turns on the afterburners. Through he goes for a 50 metre sprint and the first five-pointer of the afternoon. That's surely a contender for try of the tournament.
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9 - 10 |
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| 22 |
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| 23 |
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Ireland win a penalty inside Scottish territory and kick for the lineout. A kick at goal would have given them the lead, but hats off to skipper Rory Best for taking the attacking option.
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Referee Pascal Gauzere is taking no prisoners today! John Barclay is penalised for coming in at the side, but it's not just a penalty -- the French whistler shows Scotland's No.6 a yellow card and the visitors are down to 14!
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| 26 |
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Gauzere is giving Laidlaw a bit of a lecture here -- Scotland have given away seven penalties already. The Scottish captain isn't happy but, guess what, it's the man with the whistle whose opinion matters.
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14 - 10 |
Try yes or no? It's phase after phase of Irish forwards pounding the Scottish line, before CJ Stander leaps over for an acrobatic touchdown. Or is it...? Gauzere goes upstairs to check for obstructions and we're in the hands of the TMO.
Try! The answer from the TMO is one to warm home fans' hearts. In truth, the video evidence is inconclusive at best, so Gauzere goes with his gut and awards the try.
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16 - 10 |
Duncan Weir sends the restart straight out on the full. Poor from the Scotland fly-half.
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21 - 10 |
It takes an age for us to get a proper scrum and then Ireland are awarded a penalty after Scotland's front row goes down. Conor Murray takes it quickly and sets off into Scottish territory.
Try! Johnny Sexton sends a chip into the Scottish 22 and there's confusion in the ranks as the dark blue shirts of Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour go crashing into each other rather than gather the ball. Keith Earls, on his 50th Ireland appearance, collects the loose ball and saunters over for a chancer's try.
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Scotland enjoy a bit of possession in Irish territory but the green shirts hold firm in the tackle. Ireland regain the ball and work it back to halfway.
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Fullbacks Stuart Hogg and Simon Zebo exchange high balls before Ireland launch another foray into Scottish territory. John Hardie is putting in a huge shift in defence for Scotland and the hosts are finding it difficult to penetrate the line.
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| 38 |
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Tries aside the action has all been between the 22s so far. Scotland return fire with a series of sniping runs but their attacks go the way of Ireland's before them -- into the arms of tacklers and then down onto the Dublin dirt. Both sides finding it difficult to make meaningful progress.
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21 - 13 |
Scotland end the half with a confidence-boosting Laidlaw penalty and they'll likely be happy going into the break just eight points down. Ireland have hardly been firing on all cylinders, but the sheer amount of possession for the hosts suggests they should be further ahead. The visitors have been sloppy but are still well within touching distance.
ESPN's Rob Bartlett has this to say from the Aviva Stadium press box:
After last weekend's disposal of Italy, this was always going to be the tougher test for Ireland. Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton have pulled the strings once more, delighting the Dublin crowd with a string of inside passes and superb kicking. It's been a real virtuoso performance from the half-backs. Stuart Hogg's try is up there with the best of the championship, but a yellow card for John Barclay -- on his 50th cap -- has proved most costly. In that time, CJ Stander bundled over before a calamitous mix-up in the Scottish defence allowed Keith Earls the easiest of chances and mark his own 50th cap with a score. Scotland were the least penalised side before kick-off today: their lack of discipline has been their downfall so far.
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They're out for the second-half in Dublin. Johnny Sexton to get us back underway.
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Scotland start the second half in exactly the opposite fashion to the first, by enjoying some possession. They work it from their own 22 to the edge of Ireland's, with Stuart Hogg and Tim Swinson carrying hard for the visitors.
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Little to report as Johnny Sexton and Stuart Hogg exchanges high up-and-unders.
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| 45 |
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That's more like it! Ireland discover some attacking verve as Robbie Henshaw gets into his stride on the right wing. He offloads to Andrew Trimble, who then attempts to find Jared Payne inside him with the tryline ahead. Scotland's Duncan Weir covers well to intercept, but the Scottish 10 is forced to run into touch inside his own five metre line.
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26 - 13 |
Try! Conor Murray dives over from short range!
Tommy O'Donnell initially looks like the man best-placed to score as he carries the ball towards the Scottish tryline at the back of the maul. Some huge defence from Scotland first halts O'Donnell and then backrow partners CJ Stander and Jamie Heaslip, before Murray spots an opening from the base of the ruck to nip over and extend Ireland's lead.
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28 - 13 |
Sexton - conversion
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This is becoming a familiar sight. Scotland enjoy a steady stint of possession before Ireland disrupt their multi-phase game and force the penalty.
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| 53 |
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53 minutes in and Scotland finally have their first put-in at the scrum!
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| 54 |
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28 - 20 |
Try! Thrilling stuff from Scotland as Tim Visser runs a cute angle to take his team within 22 metres before Duncan Taylor takes it to five. The ball goes through the phases before Duncan Weir spins a pass out to Richie Gray, all alone in midfield. The huge Scottish lock goes lumbering through, with Ireland's Jared Payne left completely outnumbered in defence.
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| 59 |
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An excellent Irish attacking position is spoiled by Simon Zebo's chilly hands spilling the ball inside Scotland's 22.
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| 61 |
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Scotland have the ball inside their 22 but are refusing to kick it long. Running the ball through the hands and living dangerously because of it.
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Ireland convert a scrum inside their half into pressure on the Scottish line with a clever Johnny Sexton kick. He puts Stuart Hogg under pressure and prevents a decent clearance from the Scotland fullback, allowing Ireland to return fire and set up camp in the visitors' 22.
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Looks like Johnny Sexton might have picked up a knock to his ankle... He returns to action with some heavy strapping over his boot.
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| 67 |
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Scotland are down to 14 men after Alex Dunbar manhandles Johnny Sexton in the tackle. It doesn't look pretty from the Scottish centre, who grapples with the Ireland 10 before flipping him onto his back -- and almost his neck and head -- to leave him sprawled on the turf. That could have been nasty and the Scot is perhaps lucky not to see red.
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35 - 20 |
Try! Ireland make immediate use of the extra man and the penalty by piling forward to send lock Devin Toner sailing through between the posts. Johnny Sexton put in a lovely kick to the corner, giving Dunbar even more reason to kick himself.
Fight! There's some aggro after the try is scored which threatens to spill over into a proper punch-up. It's all getting a bit nasty in Dublin.
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Jared Payne beats one, two, three defenders before offloading to Andrew Trimble on the right wing. The pass is forward, but it's far from impressive from the Scottish defence. Someone put a tackle in!
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| 73 |
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It's back to the scrappy play we endured in the opening 20 minutes as penalty follows penalty.
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| 75 |
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Scotland secure ball from their own lineout and fire up the forwards for an assault on the Irish line. They're agonisingly close but Ireland stand firm. Greig Laidlaw decides he's had enough of the big boys having all the fun and takes it out of the maul for a snipe at the line. He's held up but there's more spikiness between the two teams, with Stuart Hogg in particular refusing to back down.
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Johnny Sexton's Six Nations campaign is over as he's sent to the bin for coming in at the side. Yet more pushing and shoving ensues, with Richie Gray grabbing Sexton by the throat!
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35 - 25 |
Try! Alex Dunbar, newly returned to the field after his sin-binning, finds himself with the left wing all to himself and canters over to touch down for Scotland.
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Jamie Heaslip named man of the match and he's a winner today as Pascal Gauzere blows for fulltime. It was entertaining at times, but more often that not those inside the Aviva Stadium witnessed a sluggish afternoon of mistake-ridden rugby.
ESPN's Rob Bartlett has this to say from Dublin:
Scotland came to Dublin as the least penalised side in the tournament: how ironic that two timely yellow cards sparked their downfall at the Aviva Stadium. Conor Murray and Richie Gray both traded second-half tries before Scotland became unhinged. With his side piling on the pressure, Alex Dunbar's moment of madness turned the second half on its head -- quite literally. The centre flipped Johnny Sexton over at the ruck and was rightfully sin-binned -- he could have seen red -- and Ireland took full advantage in that time before losing their fly-half for the final 10 minutes. It was a heated battle which, between beautiful passages of free-flowing rugby, boiled over numerous times. Just the amount of fire needed for Ireland before a tough tour to South Africa.
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