Ansbro slides over for the deciding score. Picture from scottishrugby.org
These World Cup warm up games are always going to be difficult to gauge, when you have first strings against dirt trackers is a win a win? Do moral victories count for more? One thing is for sure, over the next few weeks the post match PR is going to be more entertaining than most of the matches anyway!
Ireland’s first salvo’s in their World Cup build up were to flag impressive débuts for McCarthey and Jones along with welcome returns from injury for Kearney and Flannery! Untried combinations got an airing and the disruptive defence was impressive.
Scotland’s riposte highlighted that they looked immensely fit, won the game, dominated ball possession as well as the scrums and with a bit of tweaking are going to push on from this game. Hmm!
Away from the glare of publicity I would guess that both sides would be more than a little disappointed with the outing, with Scotland the squad with more concerns and very few opportunities to correct them.
Scotland came out with all guns blazing in a spirited but error strewn first half. The half time score line of 0 – 3, thanks to a Sexton penalty, did not reflect Scotland’s dominance of possession but, thanks largely to Ireland’s spectacularly disruptive tackling and Scotland’s lack of imagination, as the try line approached, Ireland managed to frustrate time and again. Really the Scot’s should have turned round two scores ahead.
The home side drew level at the start of the second half and, again, should have put more on the scoreboard with a break by Beattie deserving more. Wholesale changes from both sides fragmented the game even more and amid the confusion Sexton slotted over his second penalty to put Ireland back in the lead at 3 – 6.
With 15 minutes left Scotland determined that losing their opening warm up fixture wasn’t an option and eventually found the composure to send Ansbro clear after a De Luca break. Jackson added the extras to take the score to 10 – 6 and Scotland held on to close out the game.
Ireland will be pleased that Kearney came through with some style and that Flannery got a twenty minute run but they will be concerned that both front rows (the starting and replacement) were out gunned in the scrum and the back row was outclassed in the loose when Scotland chose to compete. (Something they didn’t always do as they tried to force a fast paced offloading game but they really are going to need a few more games if they are going to make that one stick!)
It was a pity that the Irish pack was so underpowered as I’d have liked to have seen more of the useful looking back line, all of whom seemed itching to make an impression.
With four more games to go Ireland still have chances to tinker and it’ll be interesting to see what changes they make up front for the French game. I’d like to see the same back line given another run.
With regards to the Ulster boys – Court showed well in the loose but struggled alongside the rest of the front rows in the scrums. Trimble and Wallace looked particularly sound in defence and Wallace showed some nice touches. Trimble will no doubt carry the blame for Jones being caught out of position for Anboro’s try!
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10 Responses to “The road to glory: Scotland 10 Ireland 6”
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The backline Trimble excluded were basically woeful with really only one move in the match to be appreciated when the ball got to Trimble and he cut back inside to keep the ball alive rather than run along the line to be bundled into touch. Fitzgerald received the ball wide on two or three occasions and opted for the kick down the line thereby giving possession back to the Scots of the two optionsTrimbles cut back was the wiser decision.
O’ Leary had a game to forget ball in hand’ if you believe the only function of the scrum half is to act as fourth back row defender then you might be pleased with his performance .
That the scrum was unimpressive was really no surprise one must allow for the fact that the second row pairings were at all times during the game experimental and the Scottish pack was in essence their first 8 for much of the game. ( the second row is the engine room of a scrum )
The Scots having sensed that Ireland were defensively weak in the centre attacked the the Irish 12 and 13 channels only to encounter and engage the Irish backrow thus failing to exploit the true weakness which was the lack of pace in the Irish backrow which would have left the wings vunerable if they had gone wide.
Of the Ulster players on view only Court and Trimble could be considered as ticket worthy The common consenus being that Wallace made too many handling errors and failed to protect the gain line ( common consenus being views expressed in Munsterfans and Leinsterfans where surprise surprise O’Leary comes in for a bit of a stick )
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Im sorry but are u blind? every time wallace ‘tackles’ someone they get a extra 5 yards and in my opinion aswell as everyone else I talk to should be nowheer near a ireland squad. Although our lack of a 12 since darcy became poo means he will probaly go to nz.
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Welcome to the site Stuart – Don’t know if you last line was directed at me or at mote but I removed it anyway.
Please try and make future comments without reference to my (or anyone elses) short sighteness or idiocy! We have enough problems without you reminding us!
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thanks and sorry about that I just get a bit carried away sometimes.
I have been a long time veiwer of the site which I think is great by the way and just thought that I might give my veiws air to share with others. once again sorry
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No worries Stuart and welcome on board.
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that was rather dull I say .
Can’t read too much into warm – ups but win is always nice, just a bit of confidence.
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not sure whether the faces are a new add-on or I just noticed it now but it’s
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Smilies are a new feature at the request of one of our contributors!
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Me!!
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