Otherwise, the Irish scrum resembled a bastion, not only immovable but able to “get a shoulder up” here and there, when looking to play off the scrum. The Irish scrum knew the stakes. The animation on the faces of the Irish players spoke volumes. The next scrum, Ireland won a freekick as Scotland were pinged for stepping through the mark. Paul O’Connell’s work on the Irish lineout in association with the players produced a fantastic platform from which to play.

Source: The Irish Times March 14, 2026 18:41 UTC