Resurgent Irish crush Scots

Ireland took their first step towards a possible Triple Crown with a 34-13 victory over Scotland at Croke Park.

It was a vastly improved display from their narrow victory over Italy on this ground, although a creaking lineout will be a cause for concern in an otherwise positive evening, when the Irish backs finally rediscovered their attacking form.

Despite enjoying the majority of first-half possession and territory, Scotland were again pedestrian with ball in hand and are in danger of collecting their second straight Wooden Spoon.

Scotland made a bright start but not for the first time this season they were unable to turn good possession into points.

They won the first two Irish lineouts and were awarded a penalty that Chris Paterson would normally knock over with ease.

But the Scots had promised a more expansive and ambitious game - all very well if it pays off but after a quick tap, Nathan Hines was turned in contact and penalised for holding on.

On 10 minutes Scotland bombed a simple two on one that should have been the first score and when Rory Lamont knocked on under a heavy challenge from Andrew Trimble, Ireland escaped again.

First try

It was 15 minutes before Ireland finally got an attacking move going. It came off a scrum, a run-around from Eoin Reddan almost paying off only for the pass to Brian O'Driscoll to be intercepted by Mike Blair.

But six minutes later the game finally had a score. A fine kick from Geordan Murphy forced Paterson to concede a lineout inside his own 22 and a couple of forward drives set up a scrum beneath the Scottish posts.

A decoy from Reddan, a quick pick-up from Heaslip at the back of the scrum and an inside pass to David Wallace put Ireland ahead.

From the kick-off Bernard Jackman did not roll away from a ruck and this time there was no hesiation - Paterson's boot proving as reliable as ever as he kicked his 24th successive international penalty.

Ireland's second try on 25 minutes was a beauty. A step and go from Ronan O'Gara, then Brian O'Driscoll bursting through the Scottish defence and finding Rob Kearney with a long pass. He crashed over in the corner and O'Gara tagged on the extras for a 14-3 lead.

Moments later Geordan Murphy was racing through midfield and the Scots were in disarray, only a knock-on from Denis Leamy saving them this time.

But Paterson did cut the deficit just past the half hour mark after Irish hands in a ruck, and with five minutes left in the half Scotland had a five-metre scrum. Still Scotland could not cross, first being forced back at the scrum, then failing to break some ferocious Ireland defence on their own line, although they did earn a penalty.

Punch

Cue a rush of blood to the head from Hines, whose punch off the ball saw the penalty reversed and Ireland survived to the half with a 14-6 lead.

Thirty seconds into the second half Ireland had another try, Bernard Jackman winning the ball from the kick-off and O'Gara spearing a pinpoint kick to the right wing, where prop Marcus Horan collected it gleefully and dived over.

A penalty from O'Gara on 50 minutes stretched the lead and Ireland were beginning to turn the screw, but suddenly from seemingly nowhere Scotland had a try. Simon Webster arrived on a flat line through a hole in the defence to scoot over under the sticks for Scotland's first try since the World Cup quarter-final and just their second in five games.

It was to be only a temporary respite for the Scots and after turnover ball in midfield and a wonderful handling movement, Tommy Bowe finished well in the corner for Ireland's fourth try.

With the game in the bag Eddie O'Sullivan made wholesale changes, but there was still time for a second try from Bowe with two minutes remaining. Scotland tried to run under pressure in their own 22, Andrew Trimble forced a turnover and Bowe crashed over in the corner.