article_snippet: Johnny Sexton added the conversion and a 10th minute penalty before Scotland finally found their legs and a series of errors led to a Greig Laidlaw penalty riposte before the momentum swing was pierced by penalty-winning breakdown foraging by Rory Best.
article_snippet: Johnny Sexton converted for a 14-point lead, just seven short of the all important Wales target, but there was quickly a painful reminder that there was still much work to do to even win this game first.
article_snippet: They and a scrum collapse allowed Johnny Sexton to grab the 20-10 advantage They took with They to the break.
article_snippet: Johnny Sexton added the extras, 20 points was now the margin and Ireland were now level with Wales’ points difference but on tries scored.
article_snippet: Cons: Sexton (3), Madigan.
article_snippet: Sexton inexplicably hit an upright with a close-in ruck penalty, a shocking aberration which indicated the high stakes involved.
article_snippet: Sexton then missed another, kicking wide to the right from the 10-metre line after Cross was yellow carded.
article_snippet: , Fitzgerald probed off a set-piece to offer Sexton another glimpse of the target and Sexton was third time lucky.
article_snippet: Sexton then signed off with cramp after the kick-and-chase that closed down Greig Tonks to win the lineout that engineered O’Brien’s 72nd minute try, the back row demonstrating great agility to stretch out beyond Alasdair Dickinson and ground.