The three-in-a-row bid rolls on for Ireland, as does their dominance over Scotland.
It's now 11 Irish wins in succession in this fixture, and aside from a few sloppy minutes either side of half-time, this 32-18 victory was as comfortable as Ireland have been at Murrayfield during their eight-year unbeaten run against Gregor Townsend’s side.
Perhaps it could have been different if the home side had shown a bit more adventure during the small period when Ireland were looking rattled.
Having come from 17-0 behind, Scotland got back to 17-8 through a spectacular Duhan van der Merwe try before the break, before Blair Kinghorn knocked over another penalty just after half time.
The Scotland full-back cut the gap further on 49 minutes with a penalty in front of the posts, but even at the time it felt like the wrong call. Ireland had been desperate and ill-disciplined during that period, and a try could have been a game-changer.
The thousands of Irish fans at Murrayfield would have been relieved to just concede three points, and it was as close as Scotland got to a comeback. Within four minutes James Lowe was diving in for Ireland’s third try, while Jack Conan wrapped up the bonus point on 57 minutes.
Ireland’s first half had been one of complete dominance. Calvin Nash (above) scored their first try on eight minutes and another followed from captain Caelan Doris on the half-hour.
Scotland’s cause wasn’t helped by losing both Finn Rusell and Darcy Graham to injury after just 21 minutes, but in reality Ireland were 7-0 up and dominant even at that early stage.
Sam Prendergast kicked three of four conversions and tagged on two penalties, picking up the man of the match award in what was a comfortable first away outing as an Ireland international, while Jack Crowley came on at final quarter, slotting in at full-back.
With maximum points through two games, it’s been a front-running start under Simon Easterby, standing in for Andy Farrell during his sabbatical with the British and Irish Lions, and a second Grand Slam in three years has to now be the target, with the Round 4 visit of France to the Aviva Stadium shaping up to be a decisive game in the championship.
Ireland struck with their first real possession of the game. From a steady scrum, Robbie Henshaw charged up the middle towards the 22, where Peter O’Mahony and Andrew Porter also carried well.
Two penalties followed, both of which Ireland kicked to the corner, and when a third advantage came their way, Prendergast spotted Nash all on his own on the right wing, spraying a pass to the Munster man, who dotted down to score, as Prendergast converted to make it 7-0 on eight minutes.
It wasn’t all easy for Ireland early on. Tadhg Beirne departed for an early head injury assessment, while his replacement Ryan Baird also left for a HIA.
In between that, Ireland should have extended their lead. Van der Merwe was sin-binned on 13 minutes when he cynically shoved Nash off the ball as the Ireland wing chased down his own grubber kick close to the line.
There were shouts for a penalty try, to no avail, while Rónan Kelleher were held up over the line after the resulting lineout and maul. Six minutes later, another penalty for the visitors saw them try out a tap-and-go move from five metres out, but their frustrations continued as Doris was held up by Dempsey.
The home side almost made it through the sin-bin without conceding, but a Prendergast penalty just as Van der Merwe returned pushed Ireland 10-0 in front on 23 minutes.
Any hope Townsend’s side had of getting back into the game took a major blow with the loss of Graham and Russell just after the first quarter, and after some aggressive kick-pressure from Ireland, the visitors eventually made their dominance count when Doris barged between Grant Gilchrist and Dempsey to grab Ireland’s second try, which Prendergast converted to make it 17-0.
Desperate for a score before the break, Scotland finally started to attack, but it looked like Ireland were going to bring their 17-point lead into half time when James Ryan stole a lineout, while from the next wave the Irish pack stopped a Scottish maul in the 22.
But, with seconds of the 40 left, Ireland tried to break from a scrum in their own 22, with Doris penalised for holding on, and from that tap-and-go, the home side worked the ball wide to Van der Merwe who finished with a spectaular dive to ground the ball in the corner to make it 17-5.
Kinghorn missed the conversion, but did cut the deficit to 17-8 two minutes into the second half with a penalty from inside the Irish 22, and suddenly all momentum was with Scotland.
A misread from Henshaw in the Scottish half saw Kinghorn put through a hole in the defence to race clear, and while the Irish scramble held them out, that territory led to another penalty under the posts.
Ireland were on the ropes, and there was a sense of relief that Kinghorn pointed for the posts with that penalty to make it 17-11 on 49 minutes. Even before hindsight kicked in, it felt like there was a try to be scored, and four minutes later Ireland punished them for not being more adventurous.
After kick-pressure forced a five-metre scrum for Ireland, a penalty advantage followed, and eventually Lowe spotted a gap to dive in and score, which Prendergast once again converted for a 24-11 lead.
With their wobble now behind them, Ireland set their sights on a bonus-point try, and it arrived just before the hour-mark.
Conan finished the job, but it was made by Jamison Gibson-Park, who spotted an empty Scottish backfield and sent a delicate chip into the space, which was retained by Keenan, before a quick recycle got it wide to Conan for the crucial fourth try. For the first time, Prendergast’s radar was off as he pulled his conversion wide, but the lead was now 18 points; 29-11.
That try effectively ended the game, and Prendergast made sure there would be no late drama when he landed a long-range penalty with 11 minutes to play.
There was time for Scotland to work their way in for a consolation through scrum-half Ben White, but it came as the game fizzled out towards another Irish win in Edinburgh.
SCORERS
Scotland - Tries: Duhan van der Merwe, Ben White
Cons: Blair Kinghorn (1)
Pen: Blair Kinghorn (2)
Ireland – Tries: Calvin Nash, Caelan Doris, James Lowe, Jack Conan
Cons: Sam Prendergast (3)
Pens: Sam Prendergast (2)
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Tom Jordan, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell (co-capt), Ben White; Rory Sutherland, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge (co-capt), Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman (for Cherrie, 47), Pierre Schoeman (for Sutherland, 47), Will Hurd (for Z Fagerson, 68), Sam Skinner (for Gilchrist, 68), Gregor Brown (for Gray, 47), Jamie Ritchie (for Dempsey, 60), Jamie Dobie (for Graham, 21), Stafford McDowall (for Russell, 21 HIA).
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan (for Kelleher, 40), Cian Healy (for Porter, 70), Thomas Clarkson (for Bealham, 60), Ryan Baird (for Beirne, 8-14 HIA and Ryan, 65), Jack Conan, (for O’Mahony, 51) Conor Murray (for Gibson-Park, 69), Jack Crowley (for Nash, 65), Garry Ringrose (for Aki, 57).
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
