Ireland laid down a marker of their quality to the rest of the Rugby World Cup at the Stade de France on Saturday, as a sensational performance brought a 36-14 victory over Scotland to top Pool B’s group of death. Six tries through wing James Lowe, full-back Hugo Keenan (two), second row Iain Henderson, hooker Dan Sheehan and center Garry Ringrose mean Ireland
will face New Zealand in the quarter-finals in Paris next Saturday, looking to book a semi-final place for the first time in the nation’s history. Andy Farrell’s side were also forced to play the entirety of the second half with no wingers on the pitch, as first-half knocks to Mack Hansen and
James Lowe saw Ringrose and scrum half Jamison Gibson-Park shift to the flanks.
Scotland, who came into the World Cup ranked fifth in the world, exit at the pool stage after scoring twice through replacement hooker Ewan Ashman and scrum half Ali Price in the final quarter, having had Ollie Smith sin-binned on a night when they were thoroughly second best.
Lowe was in for the first try of the contest just seconds past the opening minute, with much of the score to do with the outstanding work of Ringrose, whose dummy, break and pass onto Hansen left the latter needing only to pass on for Lowe to score in the corner.
Finn Russell and co turned down a shot for the posts after an Ireland high tackle for an early chance in the 22, but superb Irish defence snuffed out strong Sione Tuipulotu and Duhan van der Merwe carries, before Caelan Doris got over the ball to win a brilliant breakdown penalty.
Lifted by that period of staunch defence, Ireland kicked on and notched a second try through Keenan in the 26th minute. And what a magnificent try it was.
Replacement center Stuart McCloskey – on for Hansen – fed Sexton out the back, with the Irish Skipper then sending Bundee Aki through a gap. Aki offloaded impeccably to Ringrose on a wraparound run, with one more offload seeing Keenan slide over in the corner.
An Andrew Porter breakdown penalty saw Ireland back in the Scotland third of the pitch before long, and just past the half-hour, Henderson reached to score as Ireland battered their way up to and over the try-line. A Scottish neck-roll at the breakdown granted Ireland further 22 access, and after a wealth of pressure, Keenan scored his second try after taking a looping Sexton pass over his head and diving over through contact just before the break.
Ireland hooker Sheehan finished in the corner after superb play by utility wing Gibson-Park tracking across the pitch at pace, as Scotland struggled to live with Ireland’s flowing attack. (C.D)
