Ireland 26-5 Scotland: Hosts claim Triple Crown with bonus-point Six Nations victory

Ireland finished their 2022 Six Nations campaign with victory over Scotland in Dublin to secure a Triple Crown

Ireland claimed a 12th ever Triple Crown with a 26-5 win over Scotland, but missed out on the Six Nations title after France beat England to secure a Grand Slam.

Hooker Dan Sheehan, loosehead prop Cian Healy, openside flanker Josh van der Flier and scrum-half Conor Murray each scored tries for Ireland to secure a bonus-point, with skipper Johnny Sexton adding three conversions in victory.

Scotland's only points came via a Pierre Schoeman try in a fast-paced clash at the Aviva Stadium, with the Scotland prop fortunate to avoid sanction for a forearm to the chin of Iain Henderson in a separate piece of play.

Ireland's Triple Crown success brought their first piece of silverware since 2018, and curiously, their first trophy won on home soil for some 18 years dating back to 2004 - title wins in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2018 all coming away from Dublin.

In terms of the 2022 title, Ireland needed an English victory at the Stade de France for it to go their way, but France claimed a 25-13 win to seal a first Six Nations title since 2010.

Irish fans were treated to a first trophy success in Dublin since Ireland's 2004 Triple Crown at the old Lansdowne Road

A frantic and extremely open beginning to the Test allowed Scotland to show what they are capable of with ball in hand, as first wing Darcy Graham and then scrum-half Ali Price made incisive breaks, only for the Ireland defence to prove resolute.

Prop Schoeman was next to break the line, rampaging into space, but again a promising position for Scotland came to nothing as they were pulled up for a forward pass.

Scotland turned down their first penalty chance from 40 metres out after Ireland were caught offside, as skipper Stuart Hogg and co sought a try to build on their start, but having kicked to touch, possession was lost as Ireland challenged at the lineout.

Scotland wing Kyle Steyn next gave away a cheap penalty for playing Mack Hansen under a fiendishly difficult Price box-kick - undoing all the good work of the Scotland nine - but Sexton missed touch for Ireland.

Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park was next to bolt into space, with flanker Van der Flier pulled back off the ball by lock Jonny Gray in an incident missed by the officials, as the attack came to nothing.

An exquisite Sexton 50:22 put Ireland back down into the Scotland third, and after forcing two penalties, Ireland kicked into the corner and soon had their opening try.

The outstanding Sheehan broke off a well-constructed rolling maul to fly over on 17 minutes for the hosts to grab the crucial first score.

Ireland's Dan Sheehan - named man of the match - scored the opening try

Sexton superbly converted, before Scotland were guilty of another soft penalty to invite pressure onto themselves: Graham running into James Lowe under another high ball.

Moments later, Graham was unable to call a mark in his 22 due to fumbling a catch after a Sexton kick ran too long, before the diminutive wing sliced straight out as Scotland's great start was in danger of getting away from them.

The away side had flanker Rory Darge to thank for a key breakdown win to relieve pressure, but Price then knocked on at a ruck at the other end in a frustrating spell for Scotland.

A Sexton chip kick then looked likely to cause Scotland trouble but Darge plucked it out of the air after a wicked bounce a yard from the try-line.

Ireland were relentless, however, with their power in contact forcing Scotland back and to infringe offside, leading to the home side's second score as Healy drove over from close range with Tadhg Beirne on his shoulder inside the opening 30 minutes.

Cian Healy got over for Ireland's second first-half try

Sexton tapped over the simple conversion, but five minutes from the end of the half Scotland got the try their threatening play merited as Schoeman dummied, stooped and powered over from close range to bring the visitors back into the Test.

Blair Kinghorn - starting ahead of Finn Russell - struck the conversion poorly to miss wide, and from the restart Irish tighthead Tadhg Furlong did fantastically to force a breakdown penalty.

Though eminently kickable, Sexton turned down the chance at points to kick to the corner amidst a huge vocal response from the home support, but it proved the wrong call when Scotland forced the maul unplayable and won a turnover, leaving things 14-5 at the break.

Pierre Schoeman got Scotland on the board when he powered over

Caelan Doris won a brilliant breakdown penalty to quell Scotland's first attack of the second period, before Gibson-Park tapped a penalty in midfield for Ireland's first opening - Hansen remarkably offloading to keep the play alive - but the Ireland scrum-half's next attacking kick ran too long.

Back-to-back penalties against Ireland at ruck and lineout marched Scotland down the pitch, and though Hogg was stopped by a stunning Hugo Keenan tackle, an earlier Schoeman hand-off resulted in a TMO review.

To huge surprise, though pictures clearly showed Schoeman had driven his forearm up into the chin of Henderson while carrying the ball, referee Wayne Barnes was content no foul play had occurred.

Ireland brushed off the non-decision to take a stranglehold of the clash, but their decision to turn down another penalty for a kick to the corner again garnered no points, as Scotland pinched the set-piece.

A scrum won against the head brought another Irish penalty, and again they went to touch in search of a third try. Though they secured the ball on this occasion, a Doris knock-on close to the try-line while running a hard line saw the chance disappear.

The dominant hosts continued to come, with Scotland firmly on the back foot, and on the hour mark Ireland's wealth of pressure finally told for a score when Van der Flier charged over.

Josh van der Flier charged over for Ireland's third, which came after a sustained period of dominance

Ireland stemmed Scotland's response with two mighty counter-rucks, and inside the final few minutes the visitors' replacement scrum-half Ben White was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

Ireland took ruthless advantage to claim a fourth try, bringing with it the bonus-point, as Lowe offloaded well for replacement Murray to swivel and dive over, prompting a thunderous reaction from fans in the stadium.

Irish skipper Johnny Sexton celebrates the side's late bonus-point clinching try

Stats of the match

What's next?

After a round of domestic club fixtures next weekend in the United Rugby Championship (URC), Ireland's four provinces - Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Ulster - are each in Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 action on the weekends of April 8/9/10 and 15/16/17.

Neither of Scotland's two clubs - Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh - are in European Cup action, with both playing in Europe's secondary competition for this season's knockout stages.

In terms of the international sides, Ireland will next come together for July's three-Test series vs the All Blacks in New Zealand, live on Sky Sports. Scotland will face Argentina in a three-Test tour also in July, live on Sky Sports.