article_snippet: Still, at least the Irish had a right good day out, with head coach Joe Schmidt making a point of mentioning how welcoming the home crowd had been to head coach Joe Schmidt boys.
article_snippet: Given the situation, Ireland — ranked third in the world and chasing a second successive Six Nations title — were never going to flinch from the task in hand.
article_snippet: Ireland — ran in four tries, forced Scotland to concede a dirty dozen penalties, won every contest that mattered … and genuinely seemed capable of taking the ball back from Scotland any time Ireland — damn well pleased.
article_snippet: The visitors won a dozen turnovers and, if some of those were the result of excellent work in the breakdown, most were about the Scots simply dropping the ball, knocking the ball on, losing the ball when hanging on might, just might, have given Ireland — a chance of avoiding a 30-point demolition.
article_snippet: Sure, Finn Russell scored a nice enough try for the home team, finishing with a bit of cheek for good measure.
article_snippet: Take the passage of play leading up to Ireland’s third try as perhaps the ideal snapshot of the entire afternoon.
article_snippet: It all started with a brilliant Tommy Seymour take on a high ball plummeting to earth inside the Irish half, Scotland Scotland winger collecting and driving forward.
article_snippet: When Greig LaidlawIreland’s low pass in front of Jonny Gray was knocked on by the stooping big man, though, Greig Laidlaw’s low pass in front of Jonny Gray handed Ireland a scrum on halfway.
article_snippet: A scrum that they converted into a penalty by simply pulverising the Scottish eight converted into a penalty by simply pulverising the Scottish eight.
article_snippet: A kick to touch, a line-out cleanly taken, an efficient working of the ball through the phases — and bang, Jared Payne scores under the posts.