[ad_1]
Has Andy Farrell’s Ireland turned the corner with this important victory over Scotland?
It may not look like it, but this 31-16 win will go a long way toward calming some of the nerves that have arisen over the past 12 months.
There are some issues that remain pending, such as the quality of the scrum and the Irish lineout, as well as the level of comfort the squad has with Mike Catt’s attack system, especially in the face of better opposition.
Much more will be needed in the 2021 Six Nations, but this victory has provided Andy Farrell with the most valuable asset there is: time.
This was a relatively quiet performance from Healy, even if we include her very well taken close range attempt. Some defensive errors stained his notebook a bit. 6/10
He played pretty well for the most part, until he threw a tackle on the edge of a ruck that led directly to a Scottish try. The starting prostitute position is still high up in the air heading into 2021. 5/10
Another good performance in the tight for Porter, who has quickly become Ireland’s most valuable striker in the last 12 months. 7/10
Hard to read about Henderson’s performance given he left relatively early due to injury N / A
This was better than what we’ve seen from Ryan over the past few weeks, he’s still playing a bit inside of himself compared to what we’ve seen from him over the years. 6/10
He played pretty well here, never reaching his metronomic deck heights. 7/10
People keep trying to rule out Peter O’Mahony, but he refuses to rule it out. This was a performance of true courage and threat that showed that it is far from a spent force at this level. 9/10
This was Doris’s best performance in an Irish jersey to date. I think the sky is the limit for this guy, and while it took a while to get going, he played a crucial role in getting Ireland over the win line on key points in the middle of this game. Encouraging. 8/10
Farrell backed Murray to make a difference for him in this game and I think both men will be happy enough with how it went. I thought Murray influenced the umpire well, varied his work at the base of the ruck, and kicked very well when asked. 7/10
Sexton limped off with what looked like a thigh injury midway through the second half, but he executed his game well during his time on the field. The only thing that can stop Sexton from doing everything he says he will do is his body. If he can withstand the punishment, he might as well be at the 2023 World Cup.
The man himself strikes again – two attempts were the highlight, but his work breaking wide areas and chasing kicks were important parts of a classic Keith Earls performance. 8/10
A relatively quiet day for Aki, but I thought she did very little wrong and fulfilled her role quite well. 7/10
The question of whether Henshaw would be better served in the wider spaces of the outer center compared to the heavy traffic that he can sometimes follow when he plays in the inner center must be raised at this stage. This game was a good example of what he could do at the position. Very good stuff. 8/10
Another very solid performance from a guy who seems increasingly comfortable at this level. 7/10
If last week showed Stockdale’s passing range and a glimpse of his attacking potential, this week was a reminder of some of the basic questions like his ability under high ball under pressure outside of some decent transitional carries. 6/10
The bank had a pretty decent impact overall. Roux played quite well, O’Sullivan withstood his scrum test and Josh Van Der Flier was always busy during his two stints on the field.
[ad_2]