There is still a pretty remote chance that Ireland could surrender their SIx Nations crown at the weekend with England, Scotlnad and even France all in with remote chances of lifting the Championship. Andy Farrell’s men will look to scupper all of their hopes with a win over Scotland.
2024 Six Nations – Ireland v Scotland
Saturday 16 March – 18:45
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
After last weekend’s upsets, we’re set up for a tense finish to the Six Nations with Scotland, France and England all with a sniff of ending Ireland’s hopes of back-to-back Six Nations Championships.
The men from the Emerald Isle will be looking to bounce back from their shock defeat at the hands of England last weekend and make it a St. Patrick’s Day to remember by getting a win over Scotland will ensure they keep the cup.
To Win Match
Ireland 1/10 | Draw 33/1 | Scotland 6/1
Handicap
Ireland (-15.5) 9/10 | Scotland (+15.5) 9/10
Ireland’s hopes of back-to-back Grand Slams went up in flames in the ‘Big Smoke’ this past weekend as Andy Farell’s men lost to the old enemy for the first time since 2021, with a late Marcus Smith drop goal proving the difference.
It was a tense old affair and Ireland were playing within themselves throughout the encounter. The first half saw just one try with England’s Ollie Lawrence dotting down in the corner after some smart hands by the English backs down the short side. Penalties were the name of the game after that with Ireland’s sharp-shooting ten Jack Crowley guiding his team to a 8-12 lead at half-time.
An early second-half James Lowe try looked ominous for England and it seemed like the green machine was about to kick into gear but the hosts managed to hang in there with some solid defending that frustrated the Irish. This was evident when skipper flanker Peter O’Mahony was given a yellow card for a cynical slap down at the ruck.
England took full advantage and scored a few minutes later which swung the momentum of the game. Even with O’Mahony back on the field, England had the ascendancy and a further try would come in the 60th minute which handed the hosts a 20-17 lead with the game in the final quarter. And while Ireland would hit back with a second James Lowe try on 72 minutes, England would ultimately take the win with Marcus Smith sinking a clutch drop goal just as the clock rolled into injury time.
While it was a bad week for the Irish, it was a worse week for the Scots who suffered their first defeat to Italy in almost a decade going down 31-29 to the Azzurri in yet another pulsating upset.
Gregor Townend’s men seemed to have the game in the bag with five minutes to go until halftime as they led 22-10. Two late Italian penalties would see the sides go into the sheds with the Scottish lead cut to just six points and this is when the wheels started to fall off with the visitors looking extremely rattled.
Italy took full advantage of Scottish nerves with debutant Lewis Lynagh scoring just after the teams had returned to the field for the second half. The hosts would then take the lead just before the 60-minute mark with another try. A long-range penalty from Paolo Garbisis would extend Italy’s lead to 31-22. And while the ‘Scots scored in the 78th minute, there was not enough time for them to reign in the Italians with the hosts claiming a famous and well-deserved victory.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s clash, both sides have a point to prove after shock defeats last weekend. The Scots know they need a big bonus point win here if they are to have any hope of claiming the title with Ireland five points clear of them on the standings and possessing a far superior points differential. Ireland, on the other hand, know a win or even a losing or try-scoring bonus point will see them through as they are four points clear of second-placed England with far a superior points differential of 83.
As this was penned early in the week, there’s not much in the way of team news but despite both sides coming into this one off the back of poor results, I don’t expect too many changes for this encounter.
Verdict: Scotland (+15.5) 9/10
Despite Scotland needing a bonus point win, I still expect a tight and nervy affair with Ireland likely looking to grind out a result. This double-digit handicap looks far too big in my opinion.
