London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Ireland stay on course for Grand Slam after Scotland win

Ireland stay on course for Grand Slam after Scotland win

Ireland wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe scored a try each as flyhalf Johnny Sexton became the joint leading scorer in Six Nations history following a pulsating 22-7 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Replacement number eight Jack Conan scored Ireland's third try as they turned up the heat in the second half despite the loss of both hookers to injury, leading to flanker Josh van der Flier throwing in at the line-out and three props in the front row of the scrum.

Scotland were in the game at halftime as they trailed 8-7 having scored a try through centre Huw Jones, which will give them some consolation heading into the Rugby World Cup where they face Ireland and South Africa in their pool with only two teams to advance to the quarter-finals.

Ireland, who have claimed the Triple Crown and have their sights now set on a Grand Slam, lead the Six Nations table with 19 points from four games, four ahead of second-placed France.

They host England in their final fixture next Saturday while Scotland welcome Italy.

"It was an incredibly tough game," Sexton told the BBC. "That was one of the toughest first halves I've played, the pace it was played at.

"Some good management at halftime, we stuck at it, knew we could get by at scrum-time, we had to find a way at the lineout.

"We've got to get the bodies back together. We'll be playing against an English team that are hurting (after losing to France) and one that we have huge respect for."

Ireland claimed an eighth win in a row against the Scots and spoilt the party for home captain Stuart Hogg in his 100th cap, but there are some concerns for coach Andy Farrell.

Centre Gary Ringrose had to be carried off in a stretcher in the final 10 minutes. That followed early injuries suffered by number eight Caelan Doris, hooker Dan Sheehan, lock Iain Henderson, and then Sheehan’s replacement Ronan Kelleher.

Prop Cian Healy came on in the hooker position and performed admirably in the unfamiliar role, as did Van der Flier at the line-out.

Sexton kicked seven points to equal Ronan O’Gara’s record points haul of 557 in Six Nations matches, a missed conversion in the first half denying him the top position outright.

After a period of concerted pressure in the Irish 22, Jones scored the first try of the game after being put through a gap by centre partner Sione Tuipulotu.

But Ireland hit back with a try from Hansen as he produced a brilliant finish in the corner under pressure.

The visitors increased the tempo in the second period, with Hansen taking an excellent high ball to heap pressure on the Scottish line and the ball was worked out wide for Lowe to dot down in the corner.

If that was a blow for Scotland, then a minute later the hammer came down on their chances as Conan ran in his score.

"That first half we lacked a clinical edge," Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie said. "We created opportunities that we did not put away.

"Credit to Ireland in the second half, we could not get continuity. They are a very good side, number one in the world for a reason.

"We knew we could apply pressure if we slowed the ball down. You saw that in the first half but there were a couple of times in the second half we allowed them to get momentum and were therefore on the wrong side of the scoreline."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
×