Ireland vs Scotland

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Ireland v Scotland

Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Sunday, 2 Feb 2014
Kick-off: 15:00

Referee: Craig Joubert (SARU)
Assistant referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
Assistant referee: Mike Fraser (NZR)
TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR)

A. Squads

1. Ireland

Backs:
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster), Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster), David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) *, Luke Marshall (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

Forwards:
Rodney Ah You (Buccaneers/Connacht) *, Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues) *, Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster) *, Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) *, David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Mike McCarthy (Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster) *, Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) *, Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster), Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster), Damien Varley (Garryowen/Munster)

* Uncapped player

2. Scotland

Forwards:
John Beattie (Montpellier), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross, David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford (all Edinburgh Rugby), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Ryan Grant, Jonny Gray (both Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier), Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Kieran Low (London Irish), Moray Low, Pat MacArthur (both Glasgow Warriors), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh Rugby) Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Tim Swinson and Ryan Wilson (both Glasgow Warriors).

Backs:
Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres), Dougie Fife (Edinburgh Rugby), Stuart Hogg, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Lamont (all Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Greig Tonks (Edinburgh Rugby) and Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors).

B. Head To Head

127 Played 127
57 Wins 65
65 Losses 57
5 Draws 5
203 Tries 210
104 Conversions 109
111 Penalties 131
17 Drop Goals 38
1,344 Points 1,303

C. Recent Form

24 February 2013
Scotland 12–8 Ireland

10 March 2012
Ireland 32–14  Scotland

27 February 2011
Scotland 18–21  Ireland

D. Teams

1. Ireland



15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 49
14. Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 2
13. Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 128
12. Luke Marshall (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 4
11. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 50
10. Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92) 38
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 22
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 42
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 70
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) 34
4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 10
5. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt) 88
6. Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 19
7. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster) 9
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) 60

Replacements:

16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 30
17. Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 3
18. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
19. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster) 7
20. Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 2
21. Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster) 17
22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 5
23. Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 21

* Denotes uncapped player

2. Scotland




15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) 15 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps, 1 try, 5 points
13 Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps, 1 try, 5 points
12 Duncan Taylor (Saracens) 6 caps
11 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors) 82 caps, 12 tries, 60 points
10 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) 8 caps, 1 try, 2 conversions, 9 points
9 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby) 24 caps, 3 tries, 23 conversions, 54 penalties, 223 points
1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) 13 caps
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby) 71 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
3 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors) 23 caps
4 Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps
5 Jim Hamilton (Montpellier) 50 caps, 1 try, 5 points
6 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps
7 Kelly Brown (Saracens) CAPTAIN 60 caps, 4 tries, 20 points
8 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby) 17 caps

Replacements:

16 Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors) 3 caps
17 Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) 30 caps, 2 tries, 10 points
18 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby) 23 caps, 1 try, 5 points
19 Richie Gray (Castres) 33 caps, 1 try, 5 points
20 Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier) 26 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
21 Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors) 64 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
22 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby) 16 caps, 3 tries, 15 points
23 Max Evans (Castres) 37 caps, 3 tries, 15 points

How crap does Ford have to be/get before we see the back of him. Just cost us that one with his dismal line out throw- he is consistent- consistently dire.

The Scotland loosehead requires a stern talking to at half time.......stupid, stupid penalty to give away

Nachos Jones wrote:Good try fopr Trimble, lovely to see him back in green

You know he's just keeping that shirt warm for Tommy, right?

Cari wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:Good try fopr Trimble, lovely to see him back in green

You know he's just keeping that shirt warm for Tommy, right?

Not so sure about that Cari, I like Tommy but he has his work cut out for him to get back into the squad.

cakeordeath wrote:Ford needs replaced

From the 4 lineouts lost one was his fault, one was the jumper not jumping and two of them Ireland stole.

Needs sorted!

ahhh classic andy nicol "scottish promise" jibba jabba.

Sadly, you're right Nachos. The longer he's away, the tougher it will be for him to get his place back in the green.

Cari how are you coping without Tommy on the pitch???

Maitland's ankle looked painful...

Good break by Sexton.

Overall the Irish pack has done pretty well. POM is the best player on the pitch. Henry an absolute nuisance killing Scottish ball and thankfully not being pinged. Tuohy has been very abrasive. Healy growing as the match goes on. Need I see far more from Heaslip, Toner and Best. Moore should come on shortly.

Murray ponderous. That break aside, Sexton has been very very poor.

Dunbar and Taylor both showing well. Hoggy up for it with Sean L. Lineout a complete and utter shambles. Great try saver from Hogg and Evans in the corner. We will not score a try now.

Please get Ford off now

Hmmm, gutted to lose the try at the end. Not a bad first half, very good effort by Denton. But very frustrating that just like the bad old days possession but no points.
On the brighter side we came back from 8 points down last year...

I would still have Jackson on early in the second half, Sexton made a wonderful break but for the rest he has been average at best.

Bounce - I miss him badly...but at least I'm calmer and not worrying about witnessing another injury on him.

I wonder how Maitland's doing? I hope it was a superficial injury.

Ford has cost us 10 pts now.

Of the Irish backrow, O'Mahony is doing well. Heaslip is playing relatively solid. Scotland winning a lot of the stuff in the tight. Sexton has been decent but a savage break from him though.

Duel of the packs aside from Sexton's line break which ignited the build-up to the try. Very close through the forwards, Ireland maybe with a touch more composure and discipline but not much in it. Can Scotland engineer a comeback? It's not beyond them but Ireland have got themselves into an ideal position to gradually close it out.

Rob Kearney has been the best of the backs so far,good counter attacking,one lovely piece of skill to stop a Scottish kick putting us under pressure and good hands for the try (a simple enough pass but we've seen plenty of Irish teams mess those up).

Schmidt is famous for his 2nd halfs. Lets hope it works here.  

Ireland need to get hauld of the feicin ball and do damage. Simple.

Denton is playing well.

Inverdale on the tennis " If Murray wins England win " just go away John.

1st score is key. If we get an early try... then Id expect the game to open up to us. If we dont... it could be a very long 2nd-half.

That man is a tool

Scotland struggling to create much so far

Hey Chilli...where you going...?

Who fronted the WalesvItaly game? And how do we get him to do all of them?!

cakeordeath wrote:That man is a tool

Denton, Inverdale or Murray?   

Denton and POM are the 2 best players on the pitch.

Mr Bounce. I think you can guess

More enterprise from Ireland but they seem to be missing something.

Option line out or scrum. With Ford we should be allowed a third option

And Ford fails to hook

Heaslip making up for earlier...good drive.

Great try from Ireland

Scotland forget that you can counter maul...

We Frak need a Frak hooker can Frak hook the Frak ball

For Frak sake

God bless you language filter

Don't see Scotland coming back from this. Ireland have gone up a few gears.

Bit concerned about Carney's left arm.

Why is that a knock on,the Scottish player ripped it out of Trimbles hands.

Awh Maitland not looking good there...crutches, supportive boot...

Ireland is marking the scottish recievers very well, Scotland needs to vary their passes down the line as the second reciever is nailed every time

Scotland starting to lose their composure, some silly errors creeping in for them.

Scotland trying to force things. It's only going to get worse for us

Get MacArthur and Scott on now.

Marshall just has it. He's the present and the future. Forwards getting over the gain line and Murray being a lot less ponderous. Vastly improved. Just remember the shocking second halves under Kidney.

Big Jim getting a row   He's a hot head isn't he?

Ireland saving us some embarrassment and going for 3pts

Time for Matt Scott, gray and beattie

You can't play rugby without a platform. Basics such as the scrum and line out are sadly lacking in Scotland for the past season and a half

POM again with the important turnover. He has been my MotM so far.

POM best player in the pitch by a mile. The whole backrow has been good. They complement each other. Finally, a balanced unit.

This game reminds me of an interprovincial match just before the HC.Leinster never used any of their moves just went through the phases so they gave the opposition nothing to analyse for the next week.I think we're doing the same today.