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There’s a mouth-watering Six Nations clash taking place on Sunday afternoon as Ireland head to Murrayfield for a 3pm start.
Scotland
Scotland have been impressive throughout 2023 and despite suffering a defeat to France a fortnight ago, Gregor Robertson was still delighted with his side’s efforts describing it as ‘their best performance of the season’. Nevertheless, it leaves them five points adrift of this weekend’s opponents Ireland and they will be determined to bounce back in front of a packed-out Murrayfield.
Match has ended
Scotland dominated territory against France and commanded over 60% possession. Having beaten England and Wales already in this competition, they have very little to fear coming into this crucial game.
They have yet to win a Six Nations crown and having failed to come close in recent years, this is fairly unfamiliar territory for Gregor Robertson’s men. Having failed to capitalise on some excellent opportunities at the Stade de France, Robertson will be keen to improve his side’s clinical edge ahead of this weekend’s contest.
Scotland’s performances have been improved due to the consistency within their squad, however, they will be missing Grant Gilchrist, who is suspended for the remainder of the tournament following his red card against France.
Ireland
Ireland find themselves five points clear at the top of the Championship and have the opportunity to clinch the Six Nations title at Murrayfield this weekend.
They have won all three of their matches so far, although they were made to work for their victory against a dogged Italy side last time out.
Ireland were far from perfect in that fixture, however, they were forced to compete without several key players. The return of Tadgh Furlong should give them a significant boost and it should hand Ireland an advantage in the scrum.
A two week gap between matches has also given Jamison Gibson-Park, Robbie Henshaw and Johnny Sexton the opportunity to fully recover and return to full training. The latter could be key to their chances in this tie. His experience could be vitally important if this match turns into a war of attrition.
Head to Head
Last year’s meeting between these two sides took place at the Aviva Stadium with Ireland beating Scotland 26-5. It was enough to clinch the triple-crown with tries from Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan and Josh van der Flier helping them over the line.
Ireland have dominated this fixture over the last few season and have also won on each of their last two visits to Murrayfield. Scotland’s last success in this match-up came in the 2017 Six Nations (27-22).
Key Betting Stats
- Ireland have accrued at least 26 points in the last three meetings with Scotland.
- Ireland retained possession from 100% of their attacking rucks against Italy a fortnight ago.
- Ireland have the best points against record in this year’s Six Nations and they have conceded just four tries so far (compared to Scotland’s 8).
- Scotland’s Finn Russell has accumulated the second highest number of points so far this tournament (30). Only France’s Thomas Ramos has more.
- Scotland’s Huw Jones is the tournament’s top try-scorer with three so far.
Match Prediction
Both of these sides have been excellent so far and this game could be the best match of the competition so far. Scotland are extremely dangerous, yet perhaps they were a little naïve when it came to finishing against France. With many of their first-choice starters back in the side, Ireland might just have too much for Gregor Robertson’s men, but it is likely to be tight.
Winning Combo
Ireland to win by 1-12 points & Scotland +6.5 point handicap
Odds – 16/5 with Bet365’s Bet Builder
Best Bookmaker
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