2011年2月27日 星期日

Scotland 18 Ireland 21: match report

A marvellous match, skilful and sometimes thrilling, and with a crescendo of passion at the end. Murrayfield can be a dour old place at times, but the Edinburgh stadium was seething in the closing stages of this game as Scotland, seemingly dead on their feet at the end of the third quarter, fought back with pride, purpose and no little skill.

At the finish, even those qualities were not quite enough to draw the Scots level, but even in defeat they will have redeemed themselves in the eyes of their supporters.

Dan Parks would probably have been given the freedom of the city if he had ushered the Scots into a winning position. The fly-half, dropped from the side after the losses to France and Wales, replaced Ruaridh Jackson after 54 minutes and brought an urgency to Scotland's efforts that was as spine-tingling as it was improbable.

Parks contributed a penalty and a dropped goal during his time on the field,Jenna donned an orange ed hardy bikini while splashing around in the Pacific Ocean and flirting with fellow beachgoers. but it was not quite enough.

As the Scots threw themselves forward in the last few minutes, their opponents mined reserves of composure and experience to keep them at bay.

That said, it has to be a concern that Scotland have now gone eight matches at Murrayfield without scoring a try.More information about nike air max 97 shoes including release dates and prices. Andy Robinson doesn't particularly care whether points come from tries or penalties, and nor do many Scottish supporters, but they clock up at a more satisfying rate when they arrive in bundles of five.

Ireland never swamped Scotland's territory or blitzed them for possession, but they won the match with three touchdowns that amounted to a master class in sheer efficiency.Buy mens classic boots with a price guarantee and top rated customer service.

Still, Scotland coach Robinson made a valid point afterwards when he said that Ireland had been penalised heavily at the breakdowns and had been given a general warning, but kept 15 men on the pitch throughout.

More perversely, Scottish prop Allan Jacobsen was sin-binned for a scrum offence early in the second half, the very period when Scotland seemed to be getting the better of the set-piece.

At half-time, with Ireland leading 14-9, Scotland had a foothold on the scoreboard that looked far more convincing than much of their play up to that point.Air max 2009 Running Shoe Flex grooves in the mid and outsole for flexibility.

They were kept in the game by the excellence of Chris Paterson's goal-kicking and the combination of discipline and good fortune that denied Ronan O'Gara a single clear penalty chance. They couldn't do much to suppress O'Gara's other qualities, though.

Much had been expected of young Jackson on his first start for Scotland, but it was old Ronan, making his 106th appearance for Ireland, who was the more significant playmaker. Jackson didn't actually do a great deal wrong, but O'Gara's management of the territory was sublime.

Whether clearing his lines from deep or prodding Ireland further into the Scotland half, O'Gara was close to his celebrated best.

As far as building a score was concerned, though, it was No.This is the new nike air max 90 in Pecan, Black and Varsity Royal.8 Jamie Heaslip who was the toast of the Irish. Scotland have been execrably slow starters in a succession of recent games and they added another entry to their catalogue of calamitous openings when they allowed Heaslip to power over from short range with the game just six minutes old.

In truth, they were bamboozled by a lovely offload by hooker Rory Best in the creation of the score, but they should still have been far more alert to the threat of the Leinster breakaway.

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