Key events
38 min: Scotland blow another opportunity! My goodness, they’ve been poor. They win the line-out and set the maul that doesn’t really go anywhere despite some backs lending their weight to the cause. Ireland hold firm and disrupt the maul, coming away with it. Perhaps some green jerseys were flirting with the offside line, but that’s Scotland’s own toothlessness that cost them. Ireland’s scrum about 7m from their own line on their left.
36 min: Beirne is lifted and steals the ball. Scotland blow another chance from a line-out inside Ireland’s red zone. They’re back on halfway trying to work some space but the green wall holds. But this is better from Scotland as they win two collisions which gives them front foot ball. Ryan is slow to roll away and is penalised even though Ireland twice came close to nick the ball on the deck. Messy stuff. The headline is Scotland have a penalty that they kick to touch around 10m out from the Irish line in the right corner.
34 min: Prendergast scuffs a kick which hands Scotland the chance to throw to the line around Ireland’s 22. Beirne disrupts the line-out but Scotland keep possession though they’re pushed backwards. Aki tackles Kinghorn and in a flash Scotland are back on halfway. Lowe almost steals it but knocks-on around the deck. There’s also an off-side call, Aki this time. So Scotland get another chance to strike inside the red zone. A good kick finds touch around 10m out on the right.
TRY! Scotland 0-17 Ireland (Doris, 31)
Utter dominance and the skipper scores! Ireland’s scrum consumes the Scottish pack and Gibson-Park has a penalty advantage to work with. he picks up and snipes down the blindside where he finds Prendergast. The young 10 pumps and goes himself. He’s tackled to the ground but support is forming. Gibson-Park feeds Doris on the charge and he muscles it over. The extras are added and this is starting to look grim for the home team.
31 min: Ireland win the line-out on the right and move it fast down the line. Prendergast is caught by Jones which means the pass finds nothing but green grass, but Jones’s hand caught the ball as he made the tackle so Ireland get the scrum inside Scotland’s 22 with a short blindside on the left and big open space down the right.
30 min: There’s another charge down! White’s box is blocked by Porter. Scotland have to throw five from their own line. Ireland don’t contest though. Not sure why. Either way, the relieving kick from McDowall isn’t long enough so Ireland get the throw inside Scotland’s 22. The home side are losing on the scoreboard but getting hammered in the kicking contest. To make things worse, Russell doesn’t look healthy enough to carry on. Jordan will have to play fly-half for the rest of this game.
28 min: Better from Scotland. Their line-out is working and Sutherland makes good ground on a stiff carry. Jones more involved. White has it zipping, multiple phases, but O’Mahoney stoops to steal. Ireland’s defence is just as slick as their attack and they pick their moments to turn the ball over. Scotland get lucky with the clearing kick of their own as it bounces off of Nash, so they have the chance to throw, albeit inside their own 22.
26 min: Scotland win a line-out on the right and get Jones on the ball. His first carry is a good on but two phases later he knocks-on under contact so Ireland clear with a long kick from Gibson-Park. Kinghorn takes it under pressure. The landing is nasty but nothing illegal. Jordan, standing at 10 with Russell getting his HIA, kicks as well and Scotland get a penalty after Aki obstructed a Scottish chaser. Aki is bleeding quite a lot from his head. Has he noticed?
Penalty! Scotland 0-10 Ireland (Prendergast, 24)
Easy as you like. A simple nudge just right of centre around 30 yards out. Ireland’s dominance turns into points.
22 min: Penalty for Ireland straight from the drop-restart. Too soft, too easy quite frankly with a body not rolling away. Prendergast will take a shot at goal.
Graham, with a head brace, has finally been placed on a mobile stretcher. He was talking so we can assume he’s OK. We’ll return with an in-goal drop out from Scotland.
Russell is walking off but Graham looks in a spot of bother. He’s still lying on the deck and that’s probably his game. What a shame. Jamie Dobie and Stafford McDowall are the replacements.
22 min: Keenan plucks a high ball and sets another attack. Ireland have visited Scotland’s 22 seven times now, this latest foray down the left wing with Lowe cantering along the tram. Gibson-Park is on his inside but the pass doesn’t stick. Graham and Russell are both in trouble as their heads make contact. Both players are down and will need to go off for HIAs. Scotland have done well since the yellow card, their scramble defence has held. But losing their 10 and a wing in one go, with a 6-2 bench split, while a wing is sin-binned, is not ideal. Ireland will sense an opportunity to strike.
20 min: Kinghorn’s kick close to his own line is charged down! Panic stations but he manages to secure it and give it to Russell who kicks it out. But there’s a penalty five out and Ireland choose to tap and go. They move around like an NFL offensive line but Scotland once again manage to hold the ball up over their line. Darge the hero this time. Wow, frantic stuff from the Scots.
18 min: Scotland secure the line-out on the right and now have a chance to work through the phases. Gilchrist with a carry. Darge too. They worm their way all the way to the other wing but a stiff counter ruck knocks Russell – acting as scrumhalf – off his game, and there’s a steal on the ground. They come again after Ireland hack a kick down field. Russell then launches a high kick that Keenan fields well and returns with interest. Russell answers with another kick but that’s not as long. Ireland with the line-out on halfway. Scotland need to show more with the ball (yes, even with a winger on the naughty bench).
16 min: Scotland now win a penalty on the ground. They are not giving in. Ireland’s continuity and shape is something to see, but then Nash is nailed and that’s the dominant hit the Scottish jackals are looking for. Cherry stoops down and wins the ball on the deck. Great defensive work.
14 min: Scotland hold the ball up over the line! Wonderful scrambling defence after Ireland’s maul looked set to score. Aki added his weight to the set piece but the Scots refused to give an inch while keeping their shape.
Yellow card! Scotland (van der Merwe, 14)
It wasn’t the hardest contact from van der Merwe. Not that Nash took a dive. But there is contact off the ball. The officials reckon the ball would have beaten Nash after his kick ahead, but there’s no doubt he was taken out by Scotland’s winger. I think Duhan and Scotland has have got away with that.
14 min: Another botched Irish line-out hands Scotland the ball. Cherry did well to pounce on it. They then win the contestable kick so have room to roam inside Ireland’s half, that is until Kinghorn spills and a hack ahead has Nash in business, the ball stays infield and van der Merwe nudges him with a shoulder. Was that illegal? You know what, maybe. Duhan could be in trouble here… Nash was definitely ahead of him and was on track to get the ball. Could we see a penalty try?
12 min: Scotland’s scrum captiulates and Gibson-Park snatches the ball away from White. Ireland are on the attack but Sutherland comes up with a great steal on his own 22 and Zander Fagerson carries. Scotland keep the ball until White boxes long and out on halfway.
10 min: Ireland go long with the line-out for O’Mahoney. The throw was accurate, but the old warhorse fumbled so Scotland have the scrum feed inside their own patch. A big open side on the right is inviting.
9 min: Boos ring out as Matt Fagerson gives away a penalty from the restart for pushing an Irish player off the ball. He’s arguing, but the decision is not being reversed. Prendergast hoofs it long and Ireland will have the line-out over half-way. Scotland need to get their act together quick.
TRY! Scotland 0-7 Ireland (Nash, 8)
Inevitable. The line-out move was slick, with a blind peel off the back. Then Gibson-Park kept it fizzing with big carriers punching holes. Lowe almost got there with a cut against the grain. The overlap formed down the right and Prendergast floated a perfect pass for Nash who had an easy run over the line. Prendergast then floats an effortless conversion over near the touchline. Brilliant from the champions.
6 min: Scotland collapse the line-out. Another penalty in the red zone. Aki can’t hold on when the ball finds him. No matter, another penalty, another line-out five out.
5 min: Outstanding from Ireland. From the scrum on halfway they’re into the 22 in a flash thanks to a wraparound move with Lowe feeding Henshaw who then barrelled onwards off a scything run. From there it’s about continuity with Henshaw, Aki and O’Mahoney – in the tram – all involved. Gibson-Park had a dart himself but a second Scottish penalty was committed and stifled the move. Ireland choose to go for a line-out five out.
4 min: More kick tennis until Kinghorn opts to chip and chase from deep. The bounce is kind but he can’t gather. A Scottish knock means Prendergast has the freedom to cross-kick, but it doesn’t come off so we’ll have an Irish scrum around half-way on the left. Ireland seem content to kick long. They’ll look to pounce on Scottish impatience.
2 min: Prendergast, in his first away Test, kicks off. Dempsey fields before Scotland kick. Lowe returns the favour. White box-kicks and Lowe gathers. Patient start as you’d expect.
Cycling legend Chris Hoy hands referee James Doleman the match ball.
He’s almost welling up. Nice touch.
My goodness, when the music cuts out on Flower of Scotland…. chills.
I absolutely love it! One of those bucket list moments for any rugby fan yet to watch a Test at Murrayfield.
Anthems are done and I’m proper pumped now. We’ve got all the ingredients. Let’s hope for a belter!
Are you giving Scotland a prayer?
Maurice Hynd isn’t:
I just can’t get excited by these one sided contests anymore. Scotland will beat Ireland again in the future, but NOT this generation of Irish players. Ireland by 10+.
I agree. We need a tight game. But I think it’ll be a little closer than that. Or maybe that’s just hope.
The players are now making their way out to the park. Not long to go now.
Ronan O’Gara is on the pundit panel and weighing in on the Crawley v Prendergast debate.
Actually, he’s choosing not to weigh in, giving both players their flowers. I suppose he’s tired of conversations around fly-half rivals.
Not that anyone’s asking but I prefer Crowley but I understand why they’re giving Prendergast the keys from the start. He’s probably got a higher ceiling but a lower basement. Crowley more dependable perhaps. Both quality players though.
Simon Easterby doesn’t want the ‘favourites’ tag:
“We know we need to come here and play at our best to get a result,” was his diplomatic response.
He’s backing his stacked bench to be the difference here.
“What we did last week was laid the foundation and the bench came on and took advantage of that. Hopefully we can do the same today.”
Gregor Townsend has never beaten Ireland.
He’s smirking as he hears this stat for the millionth time on ITV.
“They’re always a difficult opponent,” he says.
I suppose if he knew exactly why he hasn’t beaten them he’d have beaten them by now. What’s the plan today?
“Trust ourselves, maybe in the past we haven’t done that and focussed too much on Ireland.”
You sense that the team that stays in the fight longer will edge it.
Not exactly the hottest take, I’ll admit. After all, most rugby games are decided in this fashion, but this feels especially true here.
Ireland’s bench is immense, and their forwards test the opposition pack with continuity and and relentless pressure. Can the Scots hold them?
Rory Sutherland is one heavy who’ll have to be at his best today.
Ireland team news
Peter O’Mahony returns and plays his first match for Ireland since the tour of South Africa last summer.
Mack Hansen has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. He’s replaced by Munster’s Calvin Nash.
The evergreen Cian Healy will become Ireland’s most-capped player when he comes off the bench, passing Brian O’Driscoll’s tally. Dan Sheehan, who was the difference maker last week, starts again on the bench in a ploy that has proved so successful for the Springboks, who keep their best hooker, Malcolm Marx, in reserve to finish the game out. Jack Crowley and Jack Conan should also have a say by the end.
Ireland: 15 – Hugo Keenan; 14 – Calvin Nash, 13 – Robbie Henshaw, 12 – Bundee Aki, 11 – James Lowe; 10 – Sam Prendergast, 9 – Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 – Andrew Porter, 2- Ronan Kelleher, 3 – Finlay Bealham, 4 – James Ryan, 5 – Tadhg Beirne, 6 – Peter O’Mahony, 7 – Josh van der Flier, 8 – Caelan Doris (c).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Garry Ringrose.
Scotland team news
Apart from the very cringey co-captain nonsense, and the absence of arguably the best 12 in the game right now, that’s a pretty handy side.
I’m such a fan of Blair Kinghorn and he’d be my Lions fullback if the first Test against the Wallabies was next week. Huw Jones is in the form of his life, the half-backs are settled and the wingers are scoring tries for fun. The only fresh face in the backline belongs to Tom Jordan, who starts for the first time in the Six Nations.
It’s the pack that needs to front up. Rory Darge (one of the co-captains) is in fine fettle while Rory Sutherland comes in at loose-head having last started for Scotland in this competition since 2022. Jack Dempsey returns to the back of the back and will be tasked with providing go-forward ball.
Scotland: 15 – Blair Kinghorn; 14 – Darcy Graham, 13 – Huw Jones, 12 – Tom Jordan, 11 – Duhan van der Merwe; 10 – Finn Russell (cc), 9 – Ben White; 1 – Rory Sutherland, 2- Dave Cherry, 3 – Zander Fagerson, 4 – Jonny Gray, 5- Grant Gilchrist, 6 – Matt Fagerson, 7 – Rory Darge (cc), 8 – Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman, Will Hurd, Sam Skinner, Gregor Brown, Jamie Ritchie, Jamie Dobie, Stafford McDowall.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
The last time Scotland beat Ireland, Donald Trump was championing a nationalist agenda from the White House, a generational quarterback was about to lead his team to Super Bowl glory and Timothée Chalamet was doing that big-eyed, softboy thing he does, which ist both incredibly endearing but also a little annoying.
Not much has changed since that heady day in Edinburgh when two late penalties from Greig Laidlaw saw Scotland pull off a stunning 27-22 win. And that’s the point. Because for all their huff and puff, for all their talk of combinations, superstars in the backline and the number of domestic titles some of their foreign-based players have collected, this contest is a rivalry in name only.
Ireland romped to a 22-7 win the last time they visited Murrayfield. They bagged a 27-24 win the time before that and a 22-13 victory the time before that. Over this period Ireland have won three Six Nations titles, two grand slams, have beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand, squared a series in South Africa and climbed to the number one ranking in the world. Scotland have promised much but failed to deliver.
But all runs have to end at some point and there’s every chance it happens today. Even without their injured captain, Sione Tuipulotu, Scotland have dazzlers who can turn games on their own. And Ireland are not quite the cohesive force they were a few years back and can be got at if their young flyhalves are forced to play off their heels.
The smart money is on another Irish win which would be their 11th in a row against Scotland, but don’t bet the farm on it.
Kick-off is at 3pm GMT.
Teams and more updates to follow.
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