England’s bonus point win makes them real contenders again while Ireland will host a hugely motivated France in round four
A defeatist hush fell over the home crowd at Murrayfield after Jack Conan's 59th minute try seemed to puncture Scotland's belief. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.
While the home team and crowd alike did generate a fair head of steam with that 11-point salvo either side of the interval, from early on Ireland’s performance went a long way to subduing Scottish fervour by simply keeping the men in blue at arm’s length. Perhaps the extended stoppages on a bracingly cold day dampened their ardour too.
Ronan O'Gara drops a goal to seal a dramatic win over Wales and the Grand Slam in Cardiff in 2009. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images As with Ireland last season, France travelled to London as hot favourites but came up just short, the difference being that Ireland nearly won a game they ultimately lost whereas France lost a game they should have won. Regrets, they’ll have a bucketload.
Buoyed by some of their clubs putting huge scores on English rivals in this season’s Champions Cup, Fabien Galthie’s side seemed to lack respect for England and the conditions, as if determined to put on another show ala two years ago.
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