Six Nations: Uncommon Irish support for England proves futile as Ireland concludes strongly in Dublin
Dublin — “COME ON ENGLAND” shouted the Irish supporters within the Silken Thomas bar in Kildare, located 30 minutes west of Dublin. You truly had to experience it to believe it. I was present, and it remains surreal to write these words after hearing those chants repeatedly while we observed the events unfold in Paris.
The live music was scheduled to commence at 10 p.m. However, with England ahead of France 27-24 at half-time during the evening match, the local folk band was temporarily paused. This was in case England managed to secure an improbable victory in Paris, which would lead to Ireland being declared Six Nations champions.
“Will we still receive our full agreed payment?” the bandleader inquired of the bar manager.
Meanwhile, in Paris, the second half unfolded as follows: France took control. England took control … And so forth. Tommy Freeman scored under the posts in the final moments, causing the patrons inside the Silken Thomas to erupt with excitement. However, with the game clock reading 82:55, French fullback Thomas Ramos successfully converted a crucial penalty with the last kick of the match, shattering Irish hopes.
The patrons in the Kildare pub sat in silence, hands on their heads, stunned and unable to grasp what they had just witnessed.
Irish aspirations were dashed. Then the band began to play.
Even the ticket scalpers outside Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road were having difficulty making themselves heard half an hour before the match, as a mix of traditional Irish songs and “Flower of Scotland” was enthusiastically sung by the crowds around them.
€500 in spending money should suffice for a weekend in Dublin — you might even have some left over after purchasing a round of expensive drinks in Temple Bar — but on this occasion, it was insufficient to secure the most sought-after ticket in the city.
“How much?” asked Oisín from Galway, who had traveled across the country by train to Dublin Heuston earlier that day in hopes of acquiring a coveted ticket at the last minute. The bundle of cash in his hand was thanks to a successful bet on Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Gaelic Warrior the previous day, with the Willie Mullins-trained horse being cheered on from Oisín’s usual spot at Hughes Bar in the Woodquay area of his city.
“Seven-fifty”
That was too steep for our friend from the west coast, who had been willing to spend up to €500 but was not inclined to go much higher. If this particular Galway resident did manage to secure a ticket for a lower price, I hope he made his way to his seat quickly; otherwise, he would have missed the opening score of the match.
The pungent odor from the pre-game fireworks had not yet faded when Ireland took the lead with less than three minutes elapsed on the clock.
From a Scotland put-in, the Ireland scrum — which faced criticism during this year’s tournament — emerged victorious and earned a penalty from which Jamie Osborne scored. The stadium scoreboard displayed two minutes and 54 seconds.
Just four minutes later, Scotland equalized as Darcy Graham scored in the corner following a beautifully executed Scottish play that was both patient and fluid.
“Utter precision in all 19 phases, and Scotland looking very comfortable on the ball,” Scott Hastings commented on ITV.
The frenetic pace of the match continued, and Scotland believed they had contained the Irish maul, but Dan Sheehan broke away five meters out and scored, restoring Ireland’s lead with just 10 minutes gone. Three tries already: this was shaping up to be a fast-paced contest.
The most crucial moment of the match, particularly from a Scottish viewpoint, occurred shortly thereafter when, with the Scots five meters out and pressing to equalize, a massive tackle on Finn Russell by Stuart McCloskey resulted in a turnover. As an Irish journalist beside me noted, “that hit from McCloskey carried an extra bag of potatoes!” Physicality triumphed over flair in this instance.
Ireland began to assert their dominance physically and were clearly the superior side in the breakdown contest during the first half, providing them with the foundation to play aggressively and apply pressure on the Scots, particularly on Russell, who was evidently targeted.
Winger Rob Baloucoune was the next to score for the Irish, extending their lead to 12 points, although Jack Crowley missed the conversion, the only blemish on a day where he successfully converted his other six attempts at goal.
With less than 20 minutes remaining, Ireland already required just one more try for the crucial bonus point.
Errors began to infiltrate Scotland’s game — Finn Russell’s kick was charged down by McCloskey, and Gregor Townsend was seen with his hands on his head following a Scotland line-out as Ireland turned it over and won the scrum.
The Scots continued to attempt flicks and tricks, but Ireland excelled in the more challenging aspects of the game. It was not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.
“Finn Russell is likely the most vital player on the pitch if Scotland is to reverse this deficit. When he finds his rhythm, the Scottish players respond to him,” former Ireland center Gordon D’Arcy stated at half-time on ITV.
Mr. D’Arcy, better known for attending a ball rather than possessing one of the crystal variety, still managed to foresee the future because just over ten minutes into the second half, the elusive Russell scored in the corner after twelve phases of play. Scotland’s patience and precision were rewarded as the try scorer’s conversion narrowed the gap to just five points, with the Scots now trailing 19-14.
Irish substitute Darragh Murray scored a try on his home debut, extending Ireland’s lead once more to twelve points, then the back-and-forth nature of the match continued when Rory Darge scored for the visitors at the hour mark. Finn Russell’s conversion made him just the fourth player to reach 500 points for Scotland.
But that was as close as they would come for the remainder of the match.
With the Scots visibly fatigued, having exerted considerable effort in their victory against France the previous weekend and playing with a day’s less rest than their opponents, Ireland intensified their efforts. Two converted tries from Tommy O’Brien and a Jack Crowley penalty allowed the hosts to pull ahead and secure Ireland’s fourth Triple Crown in the last five seasons. Scotland, incidentally, fell short of their fourth Triple Crown since 1938…
The final score of 43-21 may have seemed somewhat harsh on Gregor Townsend’s side, but this was a well-deserved victory for Ireland; they won the necessary battles, exemplified by the fact that their starting eight made 147 tackles. Physicality and superior skill prevailed over flair on this occasion.
The outcome against Scotland was sufficient for Ireland to secure the Triple Crown. However, the result in Paris meant that was the only achievement for the Irish on a Super Saturday for some and a Saturday of super sadness for others, particularly the Ireland squad inside an AVIVA Stadium suite watching France clinch victory at the last moment.
Rugby can be a harsh mistress at times. Mon Dieu.
