Error-strewn Russell has an off day as pressure costs Scotland again

Scotland’s frustrating Six Nations campaign summed up by fly-half’s inability to find a way through Ireland’s defence

Half-time assessments are dangerous and yet Scotland played well enough in the opening 40 minutes in Dublin to leave you wondering what to make of this campaign, which has careered back and forth from excellent to infuriating.
The grumbling about the late Sam Skinner try decision against France was justified and will probably carry on for the rest of this decade, but Scotland should have had that match won long before the final minutes, having been sucked into a French kicking game they didn’t want to play. The collapse in Rome last week was even more unforgivable with the air seeming to go out of Scotland after George Horne’s try was disallowed, swiftly followed by Italy going up the other end to score as mistakes and penalties crept in and Scotland folded. Not to forget almost blowing a 27-0 lead in Cardiff, either.
Mentality and composure are buzzwords which continue to haunt this Scotland side in the big moments, mainly because the talent is absolutely there. Aaron Walsh is currently employed as Scotland’s mental skills coach and there cannot be a backroom staff member in this Six Nations with a bigger job on his hands.
Finn Russell, Scotland’s co-captain, has shone throughout this championship. When everyone else’s heads went around him in Rome it was Russell doing everything to steady the ship, to keep Scotland on message and playing in the right areas of the field. He tore England apart, particularly the cross-field chip to Duhan van der Merwe, and denied France territory at Murrayfield. His tactical kicking both at the start of the tournament in Cardiff but also in Rome with 50:22 nudges has been excellent. The magical box of tricks has always kept everyone entertained but his game in this Six Nations has gone up a level, exerting more tactical control on games than in the past, while his goalkicking has also been elite.
Russell was therefore probably due an off day by those high standards and, unfortunately, this was it. Ireland’s defence can do that to you, with Russell hounded by Jamison Gibson-Park as Scotland tried to attack from one scrum and forced into a handling error. The passing wasn’t as crisp, save for a brilliant flat ball to Blair Kinghorn in the first half.
To knock off Ireland in Dublin for the first time since 2010, Scotland needed everything to go right and particularly for Russell to thrive with ball in hand. And it didn’t quite happen.
Asked about the attack’s struggles, Russell explained: “The way Ireland defend, they want you to try to go wide and they get across in that drift defence. When we look back it at, we will potentially think that we needed to be more direct.”
Scotland had Ireland right where they wanted them here; containing Andy Farrell’s side in a tight contest, holding firm with a fanned-out defensive line which left little space for Ireland to move the ball wide or, when their hosts did get to the sidelines, left Ireland forcing harried passes which either went to ground and into touch. Had it not been for the catastrophic line-out implosion of George Turner sailing a throw way over the hands of Grant Gilchrist, and therefore gifting a try to Dan Sheehan, Scotland would probably have held a deserved half-time lead.
The Aviva went quiet and Scotland played on those nerves. Spectators ambling past for pints and snacks were twitchy. The only issue was whether Scotland could create enough themselves to move ahead given their defence continued to frustrate Ireland; until Andrew Porter eventually cracked through on 65 minutes.
There were positives for Scotland, no question, with the performances of Andy Christie, Stafford McDowall and Zander Fagerson – in the loose, less so in the scrum – deserving better. Defensively they opted for more of an approach used by Wales, fanning out and shutting down the space, but did it better.
They finished the game making 239 tackles compared to Ireland’s 118 – Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Christie and Jack Dempsey all finished with over 20 – but without enough precision and threat in attack, conducted by Russell, their spirited defence went unrewarded. Scoring that few points in Dublin was never going to cut it – Scotland only had six until Huw Jones slipped through tackles by Robbie Henshaw and Caelan Doris with three minutes left – and the chance to win a first Triple Crown since 1990 was gone.
It has been a campaign for Scotland in which the highs – the first halves in Cardiff and Rome, the win over England – promised so much more. Only to in the end have delivered so little.
Recommended