Superb Scots run in a record 10 tries

A International/Scotland 67 Ireland 7: Ireland were put to the sword in last night's A international at McDiarmid Park in Perth by a rampant Scotland side that ran in 10 tries while playing superb, open rugby.

It was a record defeat for Ireland in A games against Scotland and leaves a big question about the depth in the Irish game.

Scotland could scarcely have made a better start as Alan MacDonald opened up the Ireland defence before Phil Godman used the recycled ball to race through for a try under the posts, leaving the Scotland outhalf with an easy conversion.

The home side soon returned to the attack and again the mobile MacDonald was a key player, the flanker delivering a perfect pass for his Edinburgh team-mate Dougie Hall to score in the corner.

Godman's penalty kick to the corner then gave the Scots an attacking lineout from which the forwards mauled effectively before MacDonald exploded off the side to score a simple try converted by Godman.

As the rout continued Roland Reid latched on to a dropped pass before racing down the left touchline and kicking ahead. The ball bounced perfectly for the supporting Rory Lawson to give the scrumhalf an easy score.

Godman's kick bounced off the crossbar on the way over as the Scots led 26-0 after 24 minutes.

Ireland came close to scoring when Isaac Boss launched an attack from a tap penalty before a poor kick by Niall Ronan ended the move. But a minute later the visitors engineered a two-on-one attack that ended with wing Ian Dowling scoring under the posts and Niall O'Connor converting.

Any hopes that this might trigger an Irish fightback, however, were crushed when Ronan was sent to the sinbin for preventing fair release, and from the subsequent penalty Godman kicked three points for a 29-7 interval lead.

It was same again at the start of the second half as Scotland struck quickly with a break by Ben Cairns and the finish by Calum MacRae, Godman again converting.

Ireland had chances but Ryan Caldwell and Daniel Riordan were thwarted by fine cover tackles from the Scots.

Then when Ireland suffered a second sinbinning - replacement prop Mike Ross being shown the yellow card - Scotland struck again with a try from a driven lineout by prop Alasdair Dickinson. Another try quickly followed, Graeme Morrison breaking through the middle to clear the way for Max Evans to score in the corner.

Evans made it a brace with the Scots' eighth try, converted by Godman, and then when Cairns took a pass from replacement scrumhalf Mark McMillan to touch down and replacement outhalf Gordon Ross added the conversion it was 60 points on the board for Scotland.

Scotland rounded off a fine performance with a try by replacement prop Craig Smith, again converted by Ross for a 67-7 win.

SCOTLAND A: C MacRae (Edinburgh); S Danielli (Ulster), B Cairns (Edinburgh), G Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), R Reid (Edinburgh); P Godman (Edinburgh), R Lawson (Gloucester, capt); A Dickinson (Gloucester), D Hall (Glasgow Warriors), M Low (Glasgow Warriors); C Hamilton (Edinburgh), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors); M Rennie (Bourgoin), A MacDonald (Edinburgh), J Beattie (Glasgow Warriors). Replacements: S Lawson (Sale Sharks), C Smith (Edinburgh), D Turner (Glasgow Warriors), J Eddie (Glasgow Warriors), M McMillan (Wasps), G Ross (Saracens), M Evans (Glasgow Warriors)

IRELAND A: D Riordan (Connacht); I Dowling (Munster), K Lewis (Munster), Gavin Duffy (Connacht), G Brown (Leinster); N O'Connor (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster, capt); D Hurley (Munster), F Sheahan (Munster), D Fitzpatrick (Ulster); T Hogan (Leinster), R Caldwell (Ulster); S Keogh (Leinster), N Ronan (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster). Replacements: A Flavin (Connacht), M Ross (Harlequins), D Ryan (Munster), D Pollock (Ulster), C Keane (Leinster), A Dunne (Connacht), K Earls (Munster).

Referee: A Small (England).

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times