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Joe Schmidt left to rue a slow start as Ireland lose to Scotland

It's one for the table quiz: Who were the first team to claim a Six Nations bonus point? The answer...
TodayFM
TodayFM

8:09 PM - 4 Feb 2017



Joe Schmidt left to rue a slow...

Sport

Joe Schmidt left to rue a slow start as Ireland lose to Scotland

TodayFM
TodayFM

8:09 PM - 4 Feb 2017



It's one for the table quiz: Who were the first team to claim a Six Nations bonus point?

The answer is Ireland, but it's not a distinction they'll be happy to carry.

Coming into this afternoon's championship opener with Scotland at Murrayfield, all the talk was about a potential Grand Slam decider against England in March.

At half time in Edinburgh, we were stunned. With 18 minutes left we were ahead and Scotland looked physically spent. The Grand Slam was on. We were the plucky Irish once again.

But two penalties and a full time whistle later we'd been beaten. It was all down to that first half.

Stuart Hogg underlined his Lions credentials with two early tries, the second of which was a moment of individual class, showing and going past Rob Kearney, before gliding over the tryline.

Keith Earls got Ireland back into the game, diving over in the corner, but just minutes later Scotland were 21-8 in front.

It was straight off the training ground, Alex Dunbar a surprise sight in the lineout, but the centre caught a short throw while the Irish players were tuned out, getting over the line despite last-ditch tackles from Zebo and Murray.

Ireland started the second half better, with Ian Henderson burrowing over from close range, before Paddy Jackson's try and conversion sent Ireland ahead. By that stage momentum, and time was on Ireland's side to even claim a try-scoring bonus point. How wrong were we though?

With just under 10 minutes left, Greig Laidlaw was given an easy penalty, and kicked Scotland back in front. And with the clock touching 79 minutes another three-pointer from the scrum half put the icing on a 27-22 win, their first against the Irish in almost four years.

Afterwards, Irish head coach Joe Schmidt said they had been late arriving to the stadium that afternoon, and that they continued that form into the game.



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