Scotland 'deserved' the win
Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:45
Australian-born flyhalf Dan Parks kicked 18 points as Scotland ended Ireland's Triple Crown hopes with a 23-20 Six Nations win in Dublin on Saturday.
Scotland's victory on the final day of the tournament was their first in this Six Nations and first in nine Championship meetings against Ireland, who had so wanted to say farewell to Croke Park with a victory.
Their first Six Nations success under coach Andy Robinson also meant Scotland avoided the wooden spoon in a match where Ireland scored two tries, through captain Brian O'Driscoll and wing Tommy Bowe, to one from Scottish No.8 Johnnie Beattie.
Scotland coach Andy Robinson was justifiably delighted to have secured a deserved victory after going close in a couple of previous matches.
"We deserved this," said the former England coach.
"The guys should take a lot of credit for this. They're tired and hurting out there but they deserve this win. Were we lucky? Well I believe you make your own luck.
"This went to the wire, didn't it? I was glad we scored a try in the first-half and we maintained our composure throughout the match.
"Ireland played really well form the outset and I thought we could be on the wrong end of a 30 pointer. But we hung on in there."
Ireland, gunning for a fifth Triple Crown in seven seasons, were 7-17 down early in the second half only to stage a recovery that would have left Scotland fans fearing the worst after last weekend's 15-15 draw with England and their agonising loss to Wales last month.
The hosts squared the game at 17-17 with 16 minutes left when neat play from O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy sent in Bowe for a try.
Replacement flyhalf Ronan O'Gara, introduced after starting stand-off Jonathan Sexton had another hit and miss day with his goal-kicking, landed the difficult conversion to tie the match.
It was some way for O'Gara to mark his 100th Test appearance (98 for Ireland and two for the British and Irish Lions).
However, with eight minutes left, Ireland went offside some 30 metres out and Parks's sweetly struck penalty nudged Scotland 20-17 in front.
Minutes later though, Scotland infringed at a scrum just outside their 22 and O'Gara squared the match at 20-20 with the ensuing penalty.
But the see-saw finale continued as Rob Kearney was penalised for holding on in the tackle with less than two minutes left on the clock. Parks's swerving penalty from wide on the left ultimately stayed true and Scotland were three points in front and earned Parks his third man of the match award in this tournament.
AFP
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