The BBC didn’t say, instead they asked on their website what everyone else thought. But in the question was the answer.
“What do Irish think of latest Scotland collapse?” it said.
Matt Gault, their chief sportswriter, also answered the question in a later piece and set Ireland off on a course to win the competition for a third time in a row.
Ireland’s Scottish win has all roads leading to France
“Given the manner in which they battered Scotland, having put England to the sword in the second half last week, the evidence suggests it will take an almighty effort from Wales, France or Italy to derail Ireland.”
Ref should have given Ireland a penalty try but Henshaw can count himself lucky
Peter O’Mahony happy to take on the boo-boys at Murrayfield if it means playing for Ireland
Ireland’s Scottish win has all roads leading to France
Scottish media bemoans ‘toothless Scotland’ after Groundhog Day-esque Six Nations loss to Ireland
There was little deviation from the gulf between the two teams with several outlets rightly drawing attention to the early match clash of heads that ended the participation of winger Darcy Graham and playmaker Finn Russell. The pair departed just after 20 minutes of play, Graham on a stretcher.
The Herald in Scotland picked up on the incident.
“The Scots endured a disastrous first half in which they allowed the dominant Irish to build a 17-0 lead through tries from Calvin Nash and captain Caelan Doris while also losing three of their most influential backs: Duhan van der Merwe to a yellow card, and both talismanic co-captain Finn Russell and wing Darcy Graham to head injuries,” it said.
The Daily Telegraph was considerably more to the point with their headline of: “Ireland crush toothless Scotland to keep alive Six Nations ‘three-peat.’”
The opening paragraph of the report was even more bleak for the home side and positive for Ireland, pointing to the disparity of strength between the two teams which is not likely to change soon.
“By the time the final whistle blew in this match, most of the crowd at Murrayfield had long since adopted the thousand-yard stare of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, forced to relive the exact same experience for the gazillionth time, with no expectation that things will ever be different,” it said.
“In fact, this was only Scotland’s 11th consecutive loss to Ireland. But it was potentially their most depressing yet ... and [after] an Ireland team had shown some vulnerability against England the previous weekend (albeit only for about half an hour), hopes were as high as ever that Scotland could at least give their bogey team a game. It is the hope that kills you.”
In The Scotsman, Graham Bean was no more optimistic than his counterpart and mentioned the number 11 as a kind of stain that can’t be removed.
“Scotland’s Six Nations gulf with Ireland looks bigger than ever – they must give Gregor Townsend nightmares. The Irish have now beaten Scotland 11 times in a row. Townsend must have nightmares about the men in green who remain the one Six Nations team he has never beaten in his seven-and-a-half year reign.
“They deserved to win and, in truth, by more than the final 32-18 scoreline. The Scots had a little spell at the end of the first half and the start of the second but other than that they were never at the races.”
The Scotland rugby website pointed to Ireland’s general competence more than qualities like bravado, flair or talent. Obviously downbeat about the outcome, Ireland’s capacity to ensure a positive result was highlighted.
“Ireland put on a masterclass in efficiency to record another win in Edinburgh as Scotland came up short in their hopes of foiling a third successive Six Nations title,” it said.
All the way over in Australia, The Canberra Times, using agency copy, suggested France are now the most likely side to stop Ireland when they travel to Dublin next month. Wales are up next for Ireland and Italy, who beat Warren Gatland’s side at the weekend for the first time back-to-back, are Ireland’s opponents in the final game in Rome.
“With a trip to rock-bottom Wales next in two weeks and a closing match in Italy, only France – in Dublin in Round 4 – might be able to stop Ireland winning a third successive outright title,” it said.
“The visitors dominated the clash in Edinburgh with relentless pressure from both their forwards and backs.”
The Guardian’s Luke McLaughlin suggested the number 11 without mentioning it and picked out the Irish star of the show.
“The song remains the same for Scotland,” he wrote below the headline that read: ‘Ireland power through Scotland to stay unbeaten with Prendergast to the fore’.
His narrative was similar in tone to the other reports, writing of an Irish team moving inexorably towards victory.
“The sound of bagpipes had drifted around Murrayfield, Flower of Scotland was belted out with customary passion ... But when showtime arrived Ireland were simply too good, too physical, too precise.”
