IT HAS been a long time since Scotland won their first game in the Six Nations Championship, and the effect of this 27-22 victory over Ireland could be massive. The squad will not get too carried away, but they have some momentum behind them now and will travel to Paris with their confidence high.
It has been 11 years since we were last able to celebrate a win first up, and if at times in the second half it looked like we would have to wait a bit longer, there was no doubt that in the end it was a well-deserved victory. In the first half here was some excellent stuff in attack, and some really accurate rugby.
The passing leading up to the three tries was exceptional, and the second try in particular - Stuart Hogg’s own second - was classic. It was really well executed and an example of how the team took their chances during that first half.
With those three tries in the bag, at half-time I thought ‘Here we go - bonus-point win’. But Ireland probably got a roasting at half-time - not entirely deserved, because I think the opening 40 minutes were more about Scotland playing well than them playing badly - and they fought back strongly after the break.
Some of the defence by Scotland in that second half was excellent, as it had to be. Jonny Gray’s tackle on Rob Kearney was perhaps the best individual example of that excellence, and his work rate over the piece was unbelievable. He should be one of the first names on the list when Warren Gatland suggests his Lions squad for the New Zealand tour.
Looking at the match as a whole, Scotland played with great intent, and at a good tempo. The fair weather probably suited us more than it did Ireland, as with a wet ball on a wet pitch they might have been able to play a slower, more possession-based game.
We did struggle a bit at times in the scrum, especially early on, but that was counterbalanced by a fine performance in the lineout. Our props were penalised a few times at the scrum in the first half, but on the whole the team played the referee really well.
It must have been a great game for the neutral to watch as well as for Scotland supporters, because it was two good, evenly-matched teams going head to head. It was a close game, which is what I had expected - I had predicted a 21-19 win for Scotland, so I was pretty pleased with how close that prediction was.
While I’ve mentioned Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg for their contributions, all in all it was a great display by the whole team. The work ethic imposed by Vern Cotter has been magnificent, and it was clearly a vital element of what was an inspired - and inspiring - performance.
As has often been said, the New Zealander is an old-school type of head coach, and he has brought some of that mindset back into Scotland’s play. We’ve seen that approach for a while now, but yesterday it was arguably in evidence as never before during the coach’s two and a half years in charge.
There have been times in the past when Scotland would have been a bit dispirited after going around 40 minutes without scoring, particularly when during that long period Ireland first fought their way back into the game and then took the lead when Paddy Jackson, their stand-off, converted his own try. But more or less from the minute that score put the Irish 22-21 ahead - the first time they had been in front for the whole game - Scotland showed just how determined and mentally tough they have become under Cotter.
They had the guts to fight back, with a Greig Laidlaw penalty restoring their lead. And then they had the guts to build on that slight advantage, as they ran the clock down inside the Irish half. They got the reward for that pressure with another penalty in the last minute of the game, and Laidlaw’s successful kick rounded off a fine win. Although, as I said, it was a very even game, I felt that the courage Scotland showed to fight back after being on the back foot for so long in the second half meant that they deserved everything they got.
As we look ahead to the Stade de France on Sunday, I would not change a lot for that game, with perhaps John Barclay for Josh Strauss in the back row being one switch I would make. My biggest wish would be to have Alasdair Dickinson and Willem Nel back in the front row, but as both are out because of injury we will have to live without them.
Whoever plays in Paris, the attitude will be the same. We can play a high-tempo game there, as long as it is accurate too, and win. And on yesterday’s showing, we can expect to finish fairly high up the table.
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