Ireland vs Scotland LIVE: Six Nations 2020 result and updates from today’s clash
Follow all the latest from the meeting at Aviva Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Ireland take on Scotland at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon as the duo kick off their Six Nations campaign.
Gregor Townsend knows his Scottish side will have to pull out all the stops to defeat and Ireland outift who have won 15 of their past 16 Tests at home and are beginning a new era under head coach Andy Farrell.
Wales have set the early running with fast start against Italy in Cardiff at lunchtime and both of these sides will want to join them in beginning with a win. Follow it live after the conclusion of Wales vs Italy:
Match preview:
When is it?
Wales vs Italy takes place on Saturday 1 February at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
What time does it start?
The match kicks off at 4:45pm GMT.
TV channel?
The match will be shown live on ITV from 4pm. Highlights will be on ITV at 10:40pm on Sunday.
Viewers can also watch the match online on the ITV Hub from 4pm.
Teams
Ireland: Jordan Larmour; Andrew Conway, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rob Herring, Tadhg Furlong; Iain Henderson, James Ryan; CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Scotland: Stuart Hogg; Sean Maitland, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Blair Kinghorn; Adam Hastings, Ali Price; Rory Sutherland, Frase Brown, Zander Fagerson; Scott Cummings, Jonny Gray; Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Nick Haining.
PENALTY! Ireland 10-6 Scotland
From 38 metres or so and just left of centre, Johnny Sexton makes no mistake with a clean strike with a fair amount of footage to spare.
36 minutes
Ireland are just starting to find their groove. A clever kick from Conor Murray finds some open turf down the left and though Stuart Hogg is across to gather quickly, his inside pass invites the Irish chase on to an isolated Adam Hastings. The fly-half has little choice but to hold on as the jackals pick bits from his carcass, and Sexton will have another go at goal from a near identical position.
37 minutes
No dice. Sexton over-kicks it and drags it to the left of the uprights.
37 minutes
No dice. Sexton over-kicks it and drags it to the left of the uprights.
39 minutes
Breathless stuff! Garry Ringrose puts Bundee Aki into a huge hole in the Scottish defence and takes a return pass, jinking infield to look for support but unable to do so. Conor Murray looks back outside from the base of the ruck but Sam Johnson has spotted his intentions and snares the intercept.
He races away with coast-to-coast dreams but doesn't have the gas to power away from the Irish defenders, and Sean Maitland is also hauled down after taking Johnson's offload. There might be space on the right, though, and Adam Hastings lofts the cross field kick...
Blair Kinghorn claims and pops the ball backwards to Nick Haining, who in turn finds his captain. Stuart Hogg moves into the 22 and as a gap opens up it seems he may surge through it, but Ireland just about get bodies back to bring him to floor and get over the ball to draw the penalty.
That just about does us for the half, and Johnny Sexton boots the ball over the try line after another couple of phases as the big boys draw deep breaths.
A relatively even first half in Dublin. Scotland started the brighter, with plenty of pace and depth on the ball, winning collisions and able to take an early lead through the boot of Adam Hastings. Ireland were able to hit back quickly, however, with Johnny Sexton the beneficiary of a clever move involving the handling skills of Cian Healy close to the line and the out-half dashing over.
Hastings brought Scotland back to within a point with a second accurate kick from the tee, before Sexton pushed the margin back out to four. Each has missed a shot from the tee, too, but the game is finely poised.
Neither side has managed to find consistency or accuracy in their attacking play, but that has allowed an open and exciting game. Ireland will be confident they can close this out with the strength of their bench, but Scotland have shown some really promising signs.
Scotland have been in the Irish 22 six times, but taken just three points from those visits. They might well rue their inability to be clinical in the red area. They are without their first-choice fly-half, of course, who happens to excel at creatively finding space in tightly packed defences...
Gregor Townsend should be relatively pleased, however. They've certain been able to win collisions more consistently than they did in the World Cup. I've been impressed by the contributions of Nick Haining at number eight, too.
Ireland have coped well with the loss of Caelan Doris, removed after appearing to be knocked out in a clash of heads early on. The Scottish wide defence has looked porous at times, with Garry Ringrose and Jordan Larmour looking particularly threatening. They are targeting Huw Jones in the thirteen channel - defence isn't necessarily his strength.
They would like to be more clinical, too, and certainly more accurate in both possession and at the breakdown. They are, however, scavenging superbly - Josh van der Flier and Peter O'Mahony have been typically strong in that regard.
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