Ireland have beaten Scotland 26-5 in Dublin to claim the Triple Crown and keep alive their hopes of winning the Six Nations title.
It’s a bonus-point victory which takes them three points clear of France at the top of the table with one match left to play in this year’s Championship. They now need England to do them a favour by beating Les Bleus in Paris, where the final Super Saturday match kicks off at 8pm. That would see Andy Farrell’s men crowned as champions.
They outscored the Scots by four tries to one, with forwards Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy and Josh van der Flier crossing, ahead of replacement scrum-half Conor Murray securing the bonus point in the final play.
The visitors’ solitary touchdown came via prop Pierre Schoeman who went over in a first half which ended with Ireland leading 14-5. They spurned a gilt-edged chance to cut the deficit when Stuart Hogg went for the line himself with men unmarked inside him, only for opposite number Hugo Keenan to pull off a superb try-saving tackle. Flanker Van der Flier then powered over just before the hour mark to take the hosts clear, with Murray having the final word.
