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Key occasions
14 min: One other botched Irish line-out palms Scotland the ball. Cherry did effectively to pounce on it. They then win the contestable kick so have room to roam inside Eire’s half, that’s till Kinghorn spills and a hack forward has Nash in enterprise, the ball stays infield and van der Merwe nudges him with a shoulder. Was that unlawful? You already know what, perhaps. Duhan may very well be in bother right here… Nash was undoubtedly forward of him and was on observe to get the ball. Might we see a penalty attempt?
12 min: Scotland’s scrum captiulates and Gibson-Park snatches the ball away from White. Eire are on the assault however Sutherland comes up with an important steal on his personal 22 and Zander Fagerson carries. Scotland maintain the ball till White packing containers lengthy and out on midway.
10 min: Eire go lengthy with the line-out for O’Mahoney. The throw was correct, however the outdated warhorse fumbled so Scotland have the scrum feed inside their very own patch. A giant open aspect on the suitable is inviting.
9 min: Boos ring out as Matt Fagerson provides away a penalty from the restart for pushing an Irish participant off the ball. He’s arguing, however the determination isn’t being reversed. Prendergast hoofs it lengthy and Eire can have the line-out over half-way. Scotland must get their act collectively fast.
TRY! Scotland 0-7 Eire (Nash, 8)
Inevitable. The road-out transfer was slick, with a blind peel off the again. Then Gibson-Park saved it fizzing with massive carriers punching holes. Lowe virtually acquired there with a minimize in opposition to the grain. The overlap fashioned down the suitable and Prendergast floated an ideal cross for Nash who had a straightforward run over the road. Prendergast then floats a simple conversion over close to the touchline. Sensible from the champions.
6 min: Scotland collapse the line-out. One other penalty within the crimson zone. Aki can’t maintain on when the ball finds him. Regardless of, one other penalty, one other line-out 5 out.
5 min: Excellent from Eire. From the scrum on midway they’re into the 22 in a flash because of a wraparound transfer with Lowe feeding Henshaw who then barrelled onwards off a scything run. From there it’s about continuity with Henshaw, Aki and O’Mahoney – within the tram – all concerned. Gibson-Park had a dart himself however a second Scottish penalty was dedicated and stifled the transfer. Eire select to go for a line-out 5 out.
4 min: Extra kick tennis till Kinghorn opts to chip and chase from deep. The bounce is variety however he can’t collect. A Scottish knock means Prendergast has the liberty to cross-kick, however it doesn’t come off so we’ll have an Irish scrum round half-way on the left. Eire appear content material to kick lengthy. They’ll look to pounce on Scottish impatience.
2 min: Prendergast, in his first away Take a look at, kicks off. Dempsey fields earlier than Scotland kick. Lowe returns the favour. White box-kicks and Lowe gathers. Affected person begin as you’d anticipate.
Biking legend Chris Hoy palms referee James Doleman the match ball.
He’s virtually welling up. Good contact.
My goodness, when the music cuts out on Flower of Scotland…. chills.
I completely like it! A kind of bucket record moments for any rugby fan but to observe a Take a look at at Murrayfield.
Anthems are performed and I’m correct pumped now. We’ve acquired all of the components. Let’s hope for a belter!
Are you giving Scotland a prayer?
Maurice Hynd isn’t:
I simply can’t get excited by these one sided contests anymore. Scotland will beat Eire once more sooner or later, however NOT this technology of Irish gamers. Eire by 10+.
I agree. We’d like a good sport. However I feel it’ll be a bit nearer than that. Or perhaps that’s simply hope.
The gamers are actually making their approach out to the park. Not lengthy to go now.
Ronan O’Gara is on the pundit panel and weighing in on the Crawley v Prendergast debate.
Truly, he’s selecting to not weigh in, giving each gamers their flowers. I suppose he’s bored with conversations round fly-half rivals.
Not that anybody’s asking however I favor Crowley however I perceive why they’re giving Prendergast the keys from the beginning. He’s most likely acquired the next ceiling however a decrease basement. Crowley extra reliable maybe. Each high quality gamers although.
Simon Easterby doesn’t need the ‘favourites’ tag:
“We all know we have to come right here and play at our greatest to get a end result,” was his diplomatic response.
He’s backing his stacked bench to be the distinction right here.
“What we did final week was laid the muse and the bench got here on and took benefit of that. Hopefully we will do the identical right now.”
Gregor Townsend has by no means overwhelmed Eire.
He’s smirking as he hears this stat for the millionth time on ITV.
“They’re all the time a troublesome opponent,” he says.
I suppose if he knew precisely why he hasn’t overwhelmed them he’d have overwhelmed them by now. What’s the plan right now?
“Belief ourselves, perhaps prior to now we haven’t performed that and focussed an excessive amount of on Eire.”
You sense that the group that stays within the struggle longer will edge it.
Not precisely the most well liked take, I’ll admit. In spite of everything, most rugby video games are determined on this vogue, however this feels very true right here.
Eire’s bench is immense, and their forwards take a look at the opposition pack with continuity and and relentless strain. Can the Scots maintain them?
Rory Sutherland is one heavy who’ll must be at his greatest right now.
Eire group information
Peter O’Mahony returns and performs his first match for Eire for the reason that tour of South Africa final summer season.
Mack Hansen has been dominated out with a hamstring damage. He’s changed by Munster’s Calvin Nash.
The evergreen Cian Healy will turn into Eire’s most-capped participant when he comes off the bench, passing Brian O’Driscoll’s tally. Dan Sheehan, who was the distinction maker final week, begins once more on the bench in a ploy that has proved so profitable for the Springboks, who maintain their greatest hooker, Malcolm Marx, in reserve to complete the sport out. Jack Crowley and Jack Conan must also have a say by the tip.
Eire: 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 group information
Other than the very cringey co-captain nonsense, and the absence of arguably one of the best 12 within the sport proper now, that’s a fairly useful aspect.
I’m such a fan of Blair Kinghorn and he’d be my Lions fullback if the primary Take a look at in opposition to the Wallabies was subsequent week. Huw Jones is within the type of his life, the half-backs are settled and the wingers are scoring tries for enjoyable. The one recent face within the backline belongs to Tom Jordan, who begins for the primary time within the Six Nations.
It’s the pack that should entrance up. Rory Darge (one of many co-captains) is in advantageous fettle whereas Rory Sutherland is available in at loose-head having final began for Scotland on this competitors since 2022. Jack Dempsey returns to the again of the again and will likely be tasked with offering 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 Grey, 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 final time Scotland beat Eire, Donald Trump was championing a nationalist agenda from the White Home, a generational quarterback was about to steer his group to Tremendous Bowl glory and Timothée Chalamet was doing that big-eyed, softboy factor he does, which ist each extremely endearing but in addition a bit annoying.
Not a lot has modified since that heady day in Edinburgh when two late penalties from Greig Laidlaw noticed Scotland pull off a surprising 27-22 win. And that’s the purpose. As a result of for all their huff and puff, for all their discuss of mixtures, superstars within the backline and the variety of home titles a few of their foreign-based gamers have collected, this contest is a rivalry in title solely.
Eire romped to a 22-7 win the final time they visited Murrayfield. They bagged a 27-24 win the time earlier than that and a 22-13 victory the time earlier than that. Over this era Eire have received three Six Nations titles, two grand slams, have overwhelmed the All Blacks in New Zealand, squared a sequence in South Africa and climbed to the primary rating on the earth. Scotland have promised a lot however didn’t ship.
However all runs have to finish sooner or later and there’s each probability it occurs right now. Even with out their injured captain, Sione Tuipulotu, Scotland have dazzlers who can flip video games on their very own. And Eire aren’t fairly the cohesive drive they had been a number of years again and might be acquired at if their younger flyhalves are compelled to play off their heels.
The good cash is on one other Irish win which might be their eleventh in a row in opposition to Scotland, however don’t guess the farm on it.
Kick-off is at 3pm GMT.
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