Ireland edge errant Scotland
14 Mar 2009
Ireland took a step closer to winning the Six Nations championship with a 22-15 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield .
Ultimately a second half Jamie Heaslip try was the difference between the sides, but don’t be fooled by the close scoreline, this was hardly a classic.
Northern hemisphere critics have lambasted the Super 14 as being a helter-skelter club for show ponies. But after enduring the rubbish these teams served up, I’d much rather watch 1000 hours of the southern hemisphere stuff than this nonsense which masquerades as quality rugby.
Both sides saw fit to punt the dimples off the pill, largely ineffectively so, and displayed shocking fundamental skills. The closest anyone came to scoring a try in the first half was in the 40th minute, when Toms Evans was scragged five metres short of the tryline – and that was from broken field not structured play. The most impressive thing to emerge from that half was a stat that flashed up telling viewers that Scotland’s Chris Paterson hasn’t missed a goal-kick since a Six Nations fixture against France in 2006.
Scotland were probably the more dominant in the first half, but dominance needs to be viewed in context. They carried the ball through phase after phase, but lacked the physicality in contact to make telling inroads into a well organised defence. Their ball protection at the breakdown was schoolboy stuff and this robbed them of the opportunity to get the continuity which would have tested the Irish defence.
Ireland sought to profit through a similar approach, but coughed up the ball at crucial times in a passage of play. When they went expansive, the line of attack was often too lateral to trouble the Scottish defence, who simply drifted and forced the runners towards the sideline.
The 12-9 scoreline at the break came thanks to a kicking duel between Paterson and Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara.
A trip down the tunnel did little to improve the quality of play. Basic errors and tactical naivety continued to mar the match, but Heaslip broke open the contest with a try after a period of sustained pressure. O’Gara converted and added a drop-goal shortly thereafter to take his side into a seven point lead at 19-12.
Paterson slotted his fifth penalty to narrow the deficit, but Scotland’s quest for what would have been a decisive try was blunted by their inability to break out of a rigid structure and to protect the ball on the deck.
Ireland turned over numerous rucks in that period and restored their seven point lead with 10 minutes remaining. Scotland had neither the tactical intelligence or gamebreakers to breach the Ireland line and had to settle for another performance which will inevitably be described as brave in the UK media. In the southern hemisphere we’d call it what it was – decidedly poor.
21 Comments
14 Mar 2009, 18:21 pm
Dragons that dont care…
14 Mar 2009, 19:10 pm
Good luck Ireland. Win this one.
14 Mar 2009, 20:32 pm
Hang in there Ireland only 6 more min to go and the game is yours.
14 Mar 2009, 20:45 pm
Well done Ireland.
Well done Irish to your team. Celebrate tonight and enjoy.
14 Mar 2009, 21:08 pm
Phew thank goodness for the that…
#4 Puma:
Thanks mate… 4 down one to go…
14 Mar 2009, 21:28 pm
Well done Ireland from a Scotsman – a deserved victory in a game that turned out closer than most expected. I hope you manage to win the GS that class players like BOD and Paul O’Connell undoubtedly deserve.
To whoever posted this “report”: Try reporting on the game instead of lowering every NH SH game to a ridiculous point-scoring exercise, it does you no credit. I love watching S14 and think it’s of a higher standard than the rugby played in the NH, but please bear in mind that a) we play under different ELVs and b) the S14 is played in late summer whereas the 6N is played in late winter, invariably in a mudbath.
I’d rather watch rugby union, which means I’d throw out these stupid ELVs that add nothing to the overall spectacle and diminish the great game.
15 Mar 2009, 02:04 am
I’m a northern hemisphere rugby fan but I like to check up on whats happening in SA rugby using the keo webpage and to keep abreast of developments and results down there. However, if this is what passes for journalism in the southern hemisphere then you have serious problems. A sports writer like this wouldn’t last a day working for an established newspaper or sports website in the NH. Arrogance, bias and ignorance spouting from the mouth of the author Ryan Vrede. Yes, SH teams are better on average than NH ones but your bitterness and condescending attitude towards us highlights a serious character deficiency. If you’re going to masquerade as a match reporter then brush up on your drafting and at least pretend to be impartial and objective. Also, I believe Ireland are due to play South Africa twice in the November test series this year – in Dubai and Croke Park. I’m looking forward to those games already… I wonder what excuses Mr Vrede will come up with then…
15 Mar 2009, 04:40 am
Ultra vires, they write **** to get hits.
15 Mar 2009, 10:43 am
#7 ultra vires:a…and stephen jones – the so-called expert rugby journalist – is impartial and objective?
15 Mar 2009, 11:50 am
Ultra Virus if this is this case how come Stephen Jones from the times gets repoter of the year most years,he is one of the main reasons reporters from the SH come up with this type of reporting. Have a look at his latest post in the times about how **** super 14 is and his anti kiwi statements before you accuse SH reporters of bias.
15 Mar 2009, 13:15 pm
I don’t think I’ve read anything on this site that has angered me as much as this ****. Yes, it wasn’t a classic and it might not have been the running try fest you have become used to in the S14 (sic), but for a Jock or a Paddy, it was their boys giving their all for their countries. Something that a one eyed SH fan boy like Vrede could never understand perhaps but then if we were all like you, the stadium would be empty and everyone would be watching football.
Let me explain to you. Teams like ours are not in it for the glory, there often is none, we are simply in it for the love of the game. Something someone like you will never know perhaps but as a journo (lol,) you should really try and understand. Of course we all want to win and we live for the victories, but it’s a long wait and it’s often not easy steadying yourself for the next game when you know whats coming. Ask yourself, would there have been 70,000 wathing the Boks yesterday if they had a record like Scotland? The hell there would be. But we were there. Deos that not command a bit of respect?
Yes, we could become like the Cape Town All Black supporters and chose a successful country that wins, but we don’t, we stick by our countrymen, and we back them 100% hoping that next time is the time. Usually, it’s not. And all we want is a bit of respect. Sure, we’re not the most skilful, and sure you guys are much better, but our heart is in the right place and we hold our heads high, something again, I’m sure you would never encounter because you’d change team or sport before supporting a team like Scotland.
So try and have a bit of respect Vrede. Or better still, go and watch Manchester United and leave rugby to those of use who enjoy the game for what it is.
And Keo, try and employ journalists who love the game and understand it’s traditions, not glory hunting kids straight out of school who know nothing of this sport of ours and it’s place in the world.
15 Mar 2009, 13:22 pm
#11 JockBok:
Howzit, old Famous Grouser?
15 Mar 2009, 13:30 pm
#12 Pietman: Not too bad mate. Freezing my nuts off in Edinburgh at the moment looking for a job, nothing in Cape Town so looking further afield. No-one hiring though, anything doing in Korea? I’m looking everywhere. Maybe keo should have a classified section, I’ll bet there are some people on here, spread all over the world, looking for a great catch like me
Anyway, sorry I missed you when you were in CT, looks like you had a great time by all accounts.
15 Mar 2009, 13:58 pm
#13 JockBok:
Sorry to hear.
Jeez ole friend, you’d better talk to Boerboel and some of the construction boys here on keo, I know a little about ruggas but about the concrete business I know absolutely sweet b’all.
And it seems Dubai is also in a slumber, so no joy there as well.
Korea is a no-go also, just a few sub-economic housing projects construction wise, deep recession over here, you will be better off with with smuggling line-fish in Hermanus…
15 Mar 2009, 14:09 pm
#14 Pietman: Haha, yes Hermanus sounds good again after nearly 2 weeks here. Just spoken to the mrs actually, she’s walking the dogs along Grotto Beach. Yep, maybe time to return and duke it out in SA. Plus, can’t get any blerry S14 here and as Vrede so eloquently points out, Scotland are ****.
But hey, I don’t know the construction guys on here but if any of them are reading, I’m available now for all of your site management and engineering needs. Anywhere considered
15 Mar 2009, 14:10 pm
#11 JockBok: Amen to that! It wasn’t pretty but it kept me on the edge of my seat, until Ireland scored and it was apparent we were going to lose!
I’m in Doha right now and there are thousands of cranes out here, shame most of them appear to be standing unattended! Dubai is worse, if anything, construction is not thriving out here anymore!
15 Mar 2009, 14:13 pm
#15 JockBok:
CT is the place to be, with the WC coming up.
Don’t you wonder away now, hold the faith lad….something will come up, stay in touch here on keo.
15 Mar 2009, 14:22 pm
#17 Pietman: Yes, I will d. But I think I decided this morning to go home soon. Nothing happening up here and I think my Mum is fed up with me eating her out of house and home.
#16 jonnymain: You not in construction then Jonny? But yes, it seems like noone is recruiting anywhere. Fired off a lot of cv’s to mid east, nothing back though. You needing your car washed
15 Mar 2009, 14:37 pm
#18 JockBok: Sorry mate, software consultancy is my bag (well so they tell me!)
Knew a guy from SA who worked in construction, flew his family out here and when things started getting tough for the company they started dicking him around, not paying him on time etc. They’ve gone back home now, jumped before pushed would be the phrase I’d use!
Car washing is a cut-throat business out here! You’d have to undercut my existing Filipina car washer!
15 Mar 2009, 15:40 pm
#5 Irish Devil: Hope you celebrated. Good win that. 4 out of 4 so far for Ireland. Win the next one and Ireland win the 6 Nations.
Supporting Ireland all the way Irish. Hope they can win it. Would be awesome.
15 Mar 2009, 15:49 pm
#11 JockBok: Good post that JockBok. You are so right mate. One thing about the Scots they will always support their country no matter what. Good on them.
Good to see a full Stadium there yesterday too.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.