Caledonia Dreaming or Ian38018 Sporting Travels: Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Tuesday 4 February 2020

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Ireland 19-12 Scotland
(2020 Six Nations Championship)

1st February 2020

It is difficult to work out which is more dispiriting. To watch Scotland tamely capitulate to a severe bashing, as they did against Ireland in Yokohama a few months back. Or to witness a Scotland side set up all the skittles in a favourable pattern, and then to comprehensively fail to knock 'em over.

And I am not solely referencing Stuart Hogg's unforgivable blunder in the 48th minute here, when he dropped the ball crossing the line. For, in the light of the facts Scotland already had a penalty award coming at the time, and that Adam Hastings (an average kicker at best) would have had a decidedly challenging conversion attempt, Hogg's Juggle, in all likelihood, “only” cost the Scots two points.

It is sort of hard to work out what (if anything) was going through the Scotland captain's mind at his big moment. I do wonder if, having seen his Irish counterpart Jonathan Sexton casually touch down one-handed in the first-half, Hogg felt a reciprocal touch of devil-may-care insouciance was appropriate. A lesson too late for the learning.

But, for all that, I do not feel the incident cost the match. Rather more important, I feel, were the half-a-dozen occasions Scotland had possession within spitting distance of the Irish line, but either allowed their hosts to snaffle possession, or they gave away a penalty attempting to to set up another phase.

I do appreciate this was a fine, fine defensive display by the hosts, but any international side worth their salt really should have been able to make at least one of those forays count. Also not aiding the cause, of course, were the six points gifted to the aforementioned Sexton, following brainless penalty infringements by Ally Price and Sam Johnson.  Thus did the opportunity of a quality (i.e. Not in Rome) Six Nations away victory slip away.

There were crumbs of comfort, I suppose. This was as good a scrummaging display against a top tier nation as I can remember. And, one misfire apart, the line-out did it's job admirably.

Just a bit more inventiveness on the try-line required, next time.

Would the F-word have made the difference? We will never know of course. But I think most of us who have been watching Scotland for any length of time are aware that where the mercurial Mr. Russell is concerned for every try setting-up pass across his own 22, there are three or four equally audacious manoeuvres which go more that touch awry.