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.
74 minutes
Another superb clearance with the boot by John Cooney. He's looked the absolute business so far.
Scotland bring on a Six Nations debutant of their own: Sam Johnson is removed and Rory Hutchinson is on. The Northampton man is tearing up trees at Franklin's Gardens. What impact can he make?
75 minutes
What about Stuart McInally? He runs a very Rory Hutchinson line in midfield, bashing through a tackle and showing his ability in the loose to put his toe down and get away, and move Scotland into the Irish 22.
Other replacements follow his lead - first WP Nel and then Cornell Du Preez winning collisions around the fringes.
76 minutes
Allan Dell now with the pick and drive! Within a metre! Nel again - closer still!
Du Preez driven back, but still Scottish ball. McInally - not quite! Dell with a swivel and wriggle! Still not quite there...
77 minutes
IRELAND PENALTY!
Scott Cummings' charge is meaty and offers good ball for Jamie Ritchie, who looks to alter the point of contact with a quick pass to Hamish Watson with a latcher for support. But the latcher goes beyond the ball, and thus is unable to protect it as Watson is felled, and CJ Stander is a rock over it. Mathieu Raynal takes his time and authoritatively blows his whistle - Ireland penalty for holding on. Is that Scotland's chance gone?
Tadhg Furlong is helped towards the Irish bench after a herculean performance on the tifhthead. Cian Healy is back on. Again.
79 minutes
Free kick for Scotland! Stuart McInally taps and goes after Ireland waste a little too much time at the lineout, but you sense the puff has gone from the Scottish engine after that last defensive stand from the hosts. This time there is little momentum to their drives and the supporting players are half-a-yard too slow.
Josh van der Flier over the top of the ball to win yet another turnover for Ireland, and that will seal victory.
81 minutes
Scotland try their best to make a mess of the Irish scrum, but John Cooney is eventually able to get the ball to Ross Byrne, who gleefully boots the ball into the stands to send us to a close.
It was a real arm wrestle at the Aviva Stadium, but Ireland had just enough to hold off a valiant, battling Scotland and take the four points. It was inaccurate and sloppy at times, but physical and fun, too, and on balance that's just about the right result. Scotland's lack of accuracy in the red area really cost them.
Ireland's back row were outstanding, and Tadhg Furlong, too. They will have to be better against Wales here next week though, you feel.
19 points for Johnny Sexton, and a fine start to his tenure as captain. He wasn't quite at his absolute best with either his feet or hands in open play, but a win is a win and he led the troops well.
Few signs of any offensive expansion under new boss Andy Farrell, though it wasn't really that sort of affair. "Attritional, who can knock over who sort of game," remarks Brian O'Driscoll on ITV, which is a rather accurate assessment.
Conversely, new Scotland skipper Stuart Hogg will have some tough moments tonight. While we know not how the game would have played out had he scored the most simple of tries in the corner, it would have been a timely score to move Scotland to within touching distance and given his side real consequence moving into the final quarter.
Another close but no cigar performance for Scotland - a few too many of those recently.
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