The title is Ireland’s with a game to spare – and a third grand slam in their history may follow next week at Twickenham. A trip to Dublin proved an assignment too far for Scotland after the euphoria of the Calcutta Cup a fortnight ago and Ireland duly secured a third consecutive bonus-point win at home to open up an unassailable lead at the top of the table after England’s defeat in Paris.
Ireland were not perfect but they didn’t have to be such was the looseness of a Scotland team playing at 100mph, as ever. At the pivotal moments, it was Irish accuracy – and power – that prevailed, the home team amassing the requisite four ties with a certain inevitability.
Scotland played a full part in a match that began breathlessly – and if it started to lose its mojo in the second half it was only for the relentless excellence of Ireland, who killed off their visitors by degrees. The result of the match was pretty much assured from early in the second half.
If points were awarded for artistic impression, Scotland would have been far more competitive but the gulf in maturity between the sides was incalculable. Ireland wove their fair share of patterns too but always while seeming in control. And, ultimately, they had the power to be direct in a way Scotland did not. As they squeezed, so Scotland submitted.
But the cruellest cuts Scotland suffered were inflicted by themselves. A team who live by the sword die by it too, and the dazzling manner in which they wield their blade tends to wound them at least as much as it does the opposition – against opposition as good as this, at any rate.
Where every wonder play came off against England, here enough broke down to prove horribly costly by half-time. Scotland’s search for a meaningful away win in the Six Nations continues, the risks inherent in their gameplan seemingly greater on the road than at Murrayfield, where they often hurt as intended.
Every man in that midfield, so lauded last time out at Murrayfield, was guilty at least once of a costly error. Peter Horne suffered most, his passing off target and his inside shoulder exploited. After some brilliance of the highest order from Stuart Hogg had Scotland deep in Ireland territory and on the offensive – not to mention 3-0 up at the time – Horne’s ambitious cut-out pass landed in the arms of Jacob Stockdale, who streaked clear for the game’s first try at the start of the second quarter. Scotland, looking the more dangerous at the time, were under pressure way before they needed to be.
But that error almost paled into insignificance against that committed a few minutes later by Horne’s partner in the centres, Huw Jones, a star of this championship. More brilliance, from Jones himself this time, had him homing in on the last man with Hogg outside – as certain a try-scoring opportunity as can be engineered … but only if the simple pass finds its man. Nothing spoke more loudly of Scottish edginess than the way Jones shovelled it a yard in front of Hogg. And in their exasperation, Scotland conceded a penalty at the ensuing breakdown.
It was agonising to behold. Unlike against Wales, though, when Scotland unravelled around an interception, they held their line, despite considerable stress from Ireland, and it was not until the stroke of half-time that Ireland finally made their own imaginative approach play tell. Both sides had struggled at the lineout but when Ireland were on to another loose Scottish throw Rob Kearney was soon breaking past Blair Kinghorn before a lovely loop by Garry Ringrose round Bundee Aki put Stockdale in for his second. Suddenly, Ireland were halfway to the full house.
And then three-quarters of the way. Just as against Wales the round before, they turned up the heat after the break. A 50-50 call from a sliced up-and-under earned them position and, from a penalty to the corner, Conor Murray broke round the fringes of a maul to score Ireland’s third.
Still Scotland kept butchering chances. Twice passes to Kinghorn were beyond even his reach, the second after Horne had broken brilliantly from his 22, but Kinghorn was worked into the corner in the sweetest of fashion off an attacking scrum to pull Scotland back to 21-8 down with half an hour to play.
Alas, they were spent. Ireland took control of the ball and the territory for the next 20 minutes, culminating in that fourth try for the all-important bonus point, with 10 minutes to go.
Uncharacteristic wobbles from Johnny Sexton were ridden out, the maestro missing touch with one penalty and the posts with another, but the pressure Ireland were exerting now was relentless.
For the third time in the match Ireland went for the corner from a kickable penalty and, for the second time, they scored. C J Stander secured the ball and, with noticeably less resistance now, Scotland were driven back for Sean Cronin to finish.
Scotland mounted a last, forlorn assault on the Irish line but the game, like the championship, felt done and dusted before it ought to have been.
Ireland are in acquisitive mood. They secured an 11th consecutive win – an Irish record – and the Six Nations title. With ominous intent they now march on Twickenham with the ultimate, a grand slam, on their mind.