Ireland win Six Nations Rugby for a second consecutive year after a 17-13 win in Dublin

This article was last updated on March 19, 2024

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…Ireland win Six Nations for a second consecutive year after a 17-13 win in Dublin.

Andy Farrell’s Ireland had two potential tries held up on the line by heroic Scottish defence.

New Zealander Jamison Gibson-Park is Ireland’s player of the match.

At Arriva Stadium, Dublin: Ireland 17 (Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter tries; Jack Crowley 2 con, pen) Scotland 13 (Huw Jones try, Finn Russell 2 pen, con). HT: 7-6. Yellow cards: Ewan Ashman (Scotland, 64min), Harry Byrne (Ireland, 75min).

Kiwi halfback Jamison Gibson-Park has been hailed as the “life and brains’’ of Ireland’s back-to-back Six Nations title triumphs.

Gibson-Park was man of the match as Ireland held off a late-charging Scotland to win 17-13 in Dublin on Saturday

A relieved Gibson-Park said after the final whistle that it was “tough going and two good teams going at it. Our backs were against the wall a little bit, and I’m hugely proud of the boys.

“To be back here in front of our friends, our family and our home supporters is pretty incredible, especially two years in a row.”

Gibson-Park – a former Taranaki, Blues and Hurricanes half now playing for Leinster – was rated Ireland’s best by a range of international media outlets, with Planet Rugby awarding him 9 out of 10.

“The scrum-half has grown in influence since the retirement of Johnny Sexton as the life and brains of the team,’’ it said. “Gibson-Park is an incredibly intelligent rugby player who rarely makes a bad decision. Just about everything good from Ireland today came through the experienced star.”

Gibson-Park’s Kiwi compatriot Bundee Aki continued his fine form in midfield, with 12 carries and nine tackles against Scotland.

Former Māori All Blacks wing James Lowe had four Six Nations tries, finishing one behind joint top try-scorers, Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan and Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe.

Farrell played down any disappointment on not banking a second Grand Slam by pointing to the competitiveness of this year’s Six Nations.

Everyone constantly talks about Grand Slams and we get carried away with it so much, back-to-back Grand Slams have never been done before, there’s obviously a good reason for that but for us to be in a position to win back-to-back Six Nations is a nice feeling, because it goes down in history for Irish rugby. We’re unbelievably proud of the group.”

He said the Scotland challenge was “a proper test match, and when a trophy is on the line for the both of us, that’s how it was.

Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony said it was a special moment for him after taking over the reins from retired skipper Johnny Sexton.

“I don’t know if this is my last game, I’ve a few chats to have first, but if it is my last it’s not a bad one to go out on,” O’Mahony said in a pitchside TV interview.

“This is a special group of people, the World Cup really bonded us. It’s a huge honour to captain your country and this was

Farrell spoke of his admiration for O’Mahony, 34, who has over 100 caps and has now five Six Nations titles.

“I’ve been an unbelievable, big fan of Pete all his career and we’ve a close enough relationship to be honest with one and other, and we’ve been talking about his career, certainly over when it’s getting to the end, for the last year. We’re realists as far as that’s concerned,” Farrell said.

“I’ve no doubt we’ll chew the fat on all that over the next coming days.”

The Irish led 17-6 until Huw Jones struck back with a 77th minute try for Scotland to cut the deficit to four points.o

Ireland held on for a 17-13 win to finish the campaign with four victories and one defeat (to England at Twickenham).