Ireland capped their Guinness Six Nations off on a high with an outstanding 43-21 win against Scotland to secure the Triple Crown, but Andy Farrell's side fell agonisinly short of the outright title after a Super Saturday for the ages.
France's 48-46 win against England secured back to back titles for Fabien Galthie's side, as Thomas Ramos held his nerve to kick a long-range penalty with the final game, after one of the all-time great Six Nations nights.
That kick nudged France ahead of Ireland in the table, but Farrell's side held up their side of the bargain earlier in the day with a brilliant performance to guarantee second place.
While it was a thrilling 80 minutes at Lansdowne Road, it was one where Ireland's composure impressed most of all.
They never trailed across the 80 minutes, and while Scotland scored three tries through Darcy Graham, Finn Russell and Rory Darge, each score was met soon after by another for the home side, who extended their winning run in this fixture to 12 games.
A ferocious opening saw Jamie Osborne and Dan Sheehan score tries in the first 10 minutes to give them a 14-7 lead, before Rob Baloucoune (below) scorched down the wing to send them 12 clear at the break.
Even as Scotland came charging back in the third quarter, Ireland took every blow on the chin; Darragh Murray had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he scored on his Six Nations debut to make it 26-14 and secure the bonus-point, before Farrell’s bench closed things out in the final quarter, allowing Tommy O’Brien run in two tries to cap off an excellent victory.
The game started at breakneck speed, with three tries in the opening 10 minutes.
The first came inside two minutes, Crowley breaking into the Scottish 22, and while he spilled the ball in contact, a dominant scrum earned the home side a penalty, with the out-half kicking for the corner.
A clever move off the top isolated Baloucoune to carry for the line, before a deft bit of handling from Caelan Doris to Crowley allowed the out-half play Osborne (below) in to run under the posts and score for the fourth game in a row.
To Scotland’s credit, they marched right down the pitch to score a try of their own.
While Ireland’s try had been a wonderful move off the training pitch, Scotland’s was the opposite, going through 19 hard phases of rugby, before quick hands from Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn put Graham in to score, Russell converting for 7-7 after just over seven minutes.
It was a score that silenced the home crowd, but only briefly.
Not long after the restart, Kyle Steyn strayed offside in the Scottish half, and after Crowley kicked for the corner, Ireland went to their maul, with Sheehan breaking from the back to dive over and score, as Crowley added the extras for a 14-7 lead.
The first defensive win went Ireland’s way, having ended up in their own 22 after Doris was penalised at the breakdown, but after a hard series of phases, Stuart McCloskey’s hard tackle on Russell forced a spill, allowing Ringrose collect the crumbs on the ground.
It would prove to be an important intervention, as Ireland capitalised on the turnover to score their third try of the game on 18 minutes.
It was a gorgeous first-phase score. Starting with a scrum at the edge of the 22, Ireland went direct to McCloskey who sucked in the Scottish defence, but anticipating an aggressive defensive line, the centre whipped a perfect wide pass out to the right wing for Baloucoune, and his Ulster team-mate beat the covering Graham for pace, diving over in the corner for a 19-7 lead.
Crowley missed the conversion, and that’s how it would stay until half time.
Ireland, however, had to rely on their defence to get them to the break, showing excellent composure under pressure, with Tom O’Toole and Tadhg Beirne coming up with important turnovers in and around the 22.
There was more defending to be done early in the second half after McCloskey was penalised for a needless infringement in the Scottish half, but Beirne was once again to the rescue with a jackal turnover.
Scotland had done their best business in the third quarter of games, and they continued to pressurise Ireland early in the second half, as a penalty against Doris for a high tackle allowed them back into the Irish 22 on 48 minutes.
Another penalty came their way as McCloskey ran offside, and after Scotland went for the tap-and-go option, they ground out 12 phases before Russell found space to dive between Garry Ringrose and Jamison Gibson-Park, converting his own try to bring the game back to 19-17, with 28 minutes remaining.
Just as they did in the first half Ireland responded to that concession perfectly; hard carries from Doris and O’Brien launched them into the Scottish 22, and after 17 phases it was Murray who squeezed through the smallest of gaps for a dream start to his Test career, Crowley converting to make it 26-14.
Scotland wouldn’t go away though.
A wide pass to Steyn saw him beat Baloucoune down the wing, and after a sustained attack and a clever offload from Huw Jones, Darge ran through for his side’s third try, again converted by Russell to bring the gap back to five, 26-21, heading into the final quarter.
With 15 minutes left, Farrell emptied his bench, six replacements on at once, and they made an instant impact as the home side pulled back into a two-score lead.
Crowley’s flick off the shoulder put Bundee Aki into the 22, and after a quick recycle it was Ciarán Frawley who threw a perfect offload to O’Brien (above) to score, converted again by Crowley, making it 33-21.
With eight minutes left, a Crowley penalty gave Ireland some breathing room as he pushed them out to a 36-21 advantage, with Scotland requiring three scores.
There would be no miracle comeback, but there was time for one more Irish try, as O’Brien galloped in to cap off a magnificent win with the final play of the game, securing a fourth Triple Crown in five years.
Scorers:
Ireland: Tries: Jamie Osborne, Dan Sheehan, Rob Baloucoune, Darragh Murray, Tommy O’Brien (2)
Cons: Jack Crowley (5)
Pens: Jack Crowley (1)
Scotland: Tries: Darcy Graham, Finn Russell, Rory Darge
Cons: Finn Russell (3)
Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Rob Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Tommy O'Brien; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O'Toole, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 65), Michael Milne (for O’Toole, 65), Finlay Bealham (for Furlong, 65), Darragh Murray (for Beirne, 50-60 Blood and for McCarthy, 65)), Nick Timoney (for Van der Flier, 52), Craig Casey (for Gibson-Park, 77), Ciarán Frawley (for Baloucoune, 65), Bundee Aki (for Ringrose, 65).
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson; Max Williamson, Grant Gilchrist; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman (for Turner, 17 HIA), Rory Sutherland (for Schoeman, 69), D'Arcy Rae (for Z Fagerson, 69), Alex Craig (for Williamson 61), Magnus Bradbury (for Dempsey, 61), George Horne (for White, 61), Kyle Rowe (for Graham, 61), Tom Jordan (for Rowe, 69).
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).
