First Half
Ireland wasted no time asserting dominance, scoring in the opening minutes. Winger Charlie Molony crossed the line for the visitors, with fly-half Sam Wisniewski adding the extras.
Ireland 7-0 Scotland
The Irish intensity was evident from the outset, while Scotland struggled to settle into the game. Just as the hosts began to find their rhythm, Ireland struck again in the 13 th minute. Scrum-half Clark Logan offloaded to Wisniewski, who set up Molony for his second try. Daniel Green slotted the conversion, leaving Scotland rattled.
Ireland 14-0 Scotland
Discipline became an issue for the Scots, conceding multiple penalties as Ireland dominated possession. In the 18 th minute, second-row Billy Corrgian powered over for Ireland’s third try, with another successful conversion.
Ireland 21-0 Scotland
Four minutes later, Molony secured his hat-trick, benefiting from quick ball and slick passing. A missed conversion spared Scotland further damage, but they were still in trouble.
Ireland 26-0 Scotland
Finally, in the 25 th minute, Scotland found a breakthrough. A strong run from Reuben Logan and Johnny Ventisei set up winger Ben Watson, who finished well. However, the conversion was off target.
Ireland 26-5 Scotland
Scotland’s defence tightened as the half progressed, making it harder for Ireland to break through. In the 36 th minute, hooker Henry Walker appeared to have stretched over for another Irish try, but TMO ruled it out for obstruction – a much needed reprieve for the home side.
As the rain began to fall at Hive Stadium, Scotland pushed forward, edging closer to the line, but the Irish defence held firm.
Second Half
Scotland made several changes at the break, with Hector Patterson, Jake Shearer and Bart Godsell coming on.
The hosts started the second half strongly. In the 42 nd minute, Patterson combined with Joe Roberts, who crashed over the line for Scotland’s second try. However, Matthew Urwin’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Ireland 26-10 Scotland
Three minutes later, Patterson thought he had secured another try, but TMO disallowed it for a knock-on – a frustrating moment for the Scots, who look far more competitive in the second half.
By the 55 th minute, Ireland were once again on the front foot, forcing Scotland into defensive mode. A crucial knock-on near the try line saw Scotland earn a 5m defensive scrum, providing some relief.
Despite Scotland’s defensive efforts, Ireland found their fifth try in the 59 th minute through Oisin Minogue, with a successful conversion extending their lead.
Ireland 33-10 Scotland
Moments later, Patterson produced a moment of brilliance. The scrumhalf broke free in the 63rd minute, kicking ahead three times before collecting and diving over the line. The Irish defence chased hard, but he showed impressive composure to finish.
As the match entered its final stages, Scotland dominated possession, pressing deep into Ireland’s half but failing to break through the defensive wall. Ireland’s Charlie Molony was deservedly named Player of the match for his hattrick and attacking contributions.
Full time: Scotland 10-33 Ireland
Reflecting on the team’s performance, head coach Kenny Murray said: “It was a really poor start, even the first try. We’d previewed stuff like that, we’d spoke about that.” He follows on to say: “the consequences of making errors at this level were huge. If you make an error the consequences are massive.”
When asked about the effect of the half time team talk, Murray said: “once we got over the first 20 minutes, we started to dig ourselves back in. Showed some good rugby. Scored some good tries. We made four subs at half-time, and they generally made a good impact.” When asked about the upcoming English side, he said: “They’ve won two games and are now going Grand Slam. It’s going to be a tough game.”
Scrum half Hector Patterson of Edinburgh Rugby spoke on the team’s performance after his successful try after only being on the pitch for a short time, saying: “We’re definitely getting stronger as a team and it’s good to get together as a team after not playing together for very long. Really looking forward to England in two weeks.”
