Champions! Ireland do enough to quell Scots

A VISIBLY nervous Ireland encountered Scotland at their bravest and best but still found just enough to get over the finishing line and back up last year's Grand Slam with a second Championship on the bounce.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

Today's St Patrick's Day celebrations can continue untarnished, but it was a close run thing. The Scots produced an extraordinary 80-minute defensive effort nearly 240 tackles and a brilliant late try from Huw Jones raised the prospect of a pick-pocket win which would have put a dampener on the party spirit.

Ireland though stood firm and played out the last two minutes to get the party started, a poignant time for their skipper Peter O'Mahony and veteran replacement scrum-half Conor Murray who many expect to step down this summer while attack coach Mike Catt is moving on, and what a superb job the Englishman has done..

The Irish 'deserve' the Championship for the excellence of their opening day win over France in Marseille alone but they have had to dig deep over the last eight days, first in that narrow defeat at Twickenham and then again last night squeezing past the Scots. Perhaps they are not so far ahead of everybody else in Europe as some claimed.

Scotland, much chastened at again coughing up a big lead in Rome last week, started as they intended to continue in the first half when they combined resolute disciplined defence with fast and loose attack.

Clearly the Scots had been working hard in training because their line speed and physicality in defence was unrecognisable from last week when they started leaking points against the Italians.

It was the right approach against an Ireland team that were jolted a little by their defeat at Twickenham while also looking a little burdened by the expectation of them bringing home a second consecutive title against opponents they are habitually expected to beat. Prior to kick off the Irish had won 13 of the last 14 fixtures including nine on the trot. Scotland are their banker in the Championship.