Tadgh Beirne was given a private moment on the field to mark his 50th cap for Ireland prior to the match against Scotland, a feat he often claimed he never thought he would achieve. While the rest of the Irish and Scottish teams remained in the tunnel, Beirne was honoured for his contribution to the Ireland squad. The majority of the 50,000 spectators at the Aviva Stadium would be aware of his past history – having had to leave Leinster’s academy to play with the Scarlets in Wales before being recognised as suitable Irish Test starting lock. His exceptional performance in Wales, particularly his knack for turnovers, is something he has successfully imported to Ireland.
Elsewhere, Gonzalo Queseda, Italy’s head coach, will be content with their performance in the Six Nations championships. Despite Wales’ two late tries at the Cardiff match over the weekend, Italy celebrated its second victory in this year’s tournament. The Italian team also managed to draw with France (13-13) at Stade Pierre Mauroy, besides a well-fought match in the Rome opener with England, which led to a narrow loss 27-24. Even if Ireland blanked them with a 37-point lead, their overall performance has halted talks of relegation. The last few weeks have been pivotal for both the Italian squad and coach Quesada.
As for their approach to lineouts, Ireland continues to trust its strategy and execution.
Twelve minutes into the match against Scotland, Ireland obtained their first penalty. Despite being within a kicking distance for three points, they chose to achieve touch instead. This early tact revealed their support for the lineout and driving maul, regardless of how the first half played out for Ireland. As the game progressed, Dan Sheehan was shoved into touch by the Scotland defence, resulting in a five-metre out lineout for them. A misplaced throw by George Turner, the hooker, had Grant Gilchrist, the lock, scrambling for the ball, which then landed to the waiting Sheehan at the rear of the lineout. Andy Christie’s attempt to tackle the imposing 6ft 3in Irish hooker fell short as Sheehan scored. Ultimately, the choice to kick pressured Scotland into making a mistake, proving to be a successful strategy.
Occasionally the referee’s judgement isn’t perfect. Their errors are often showcased to a wide audience. Late into the second half of the match, referee Matthew Carley was seen directly addressing the Scotland players saying, “We’re returning for the penalty advantage, three penalties in a row with 18 being offside for the last, so he’s going to the bin. Where’s 18, I need 18.” Finn Russell promptly rectified the English referee’s mistake and informed him that Javan Sebastian, Scotland’s number 18 and a late addition to the game, wasn’t currently on the pitch. Upon realising his blunder, Carley quickly did a U-turn, exclaiming, “Okay, so who replaced 18? What’s the number? Oh, my bad, it was 16. Sorry for the mix-up.” Only after this clarification did Ewan Ashman make his way to the bin.
Regarding Ireland’s victory at the Six Nations, media responses indicated the match left something to be desired: ‘Neither Ireland nor Scotland brought their best game.’ A fair amount was spent to witness this historical event.
There’s a widespread belief that fans of rugby are impervious to the costs of tickets for the Six Nations Championship. Premium Level tickets for an Ireland vs Scotland match are priced at €155, whilst a Category A1 Stand ticket comes with a hefty €135 tag, but the expenditures do not stop here. Should your child (€22 per ticket) wish to have a keepsake programme, it will set you back by an additional €8. If one wishes to keep an ear on the on-field dialogue between the referee, the TMO, and the players, then a Ref Link earpiece will be required, which throws another €13 into the expenditure and yet has only a single match validity, making it disposable after use. Add a chocolate bar or a hamburger, and the day’s outing could just fall shy of €200. All in all, it’s considered a bargain for a Championship triumph.