Rugby

Scotland 13 Ireland 22: Scotland player ratings

Finn Russell, Josh Strauss and Stuart McInally best for Gregor Townsend’s team

Finn Russell was Scotland’s best player in their nine point defeat to Ireland. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Johnny Watterson's face
Johnny Watterson
Sat Feb 9 2019 - 17:07

15. Stuart Hogg - Sound in defence for his limited time on the pitch and showed dancing feet coming forward. But lasted just 16 minutes for a short cameo. Turned up looked good. Rating: 6

14. Tommy Seymour - Poor pass back to Maitland under pressure for Murray try. But picked up and was always an attacking threat. Part of a backline that butchered too much going forward. Rating: 5

13. Huw Jones - Dropped a high one early doors. But important part of Scotland's running game, Again was given limited space and not a consistent threat. Rating: 5

12. Sam Johnson - Good intelligent support running for try off Russell offload. Some inaccuracy in the first half but the Scottish threat dissipated second half with less ball. Rating: 6

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11. Sean Maitland - Struggled for profile during the match . Didn't do much wrong but he's just back from injury and it may have showed in his play. Rating: 4

10. Finn Russell - Quality of passing on show from the beginning. Kick through for Seymour class and intercept and offload brilliantly judged. Talisman. Rating: 8

9. Greig Laidlaw - Kept Scottish tempo high first half and his boxing kicking and place kicking was excellent. Possibly too conservative for what they needed. Replaced. Rating: 6

1. Allan Dell - Hugely involved in the grunt work and Scotland's 25 ball phase just before the break. Missed midfield tackle on Joey Carbery with Rob Harley for Keith Earls try. Marked down in scrum. Rating: 5

2. Stuart McInally - Throwing to lineout accurate and defensively good. Part of the Scottish pack that often hit Ireland back. Nice strip from Furlong second half. Scrum aside a good shift. Rating: 7

Scotland’s Stuart McInally and Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpoh

3. Simon Berghan - Busy at the breakdown getting his tackles in. Missed Peter O'Mahony in the second half but part of a effective and mobile frontrow. Scrum struggled with a few penalties. Rating: 5

4. Grant Gilchrist - Abrasive in the loose and at the forefront of Scotland breakdown. One or two inaccuracies in a Scottish game of errors all around the park. Rating: 5

5. Jonny Gray - Typically involved everywhere. Didn't get the space for trade mark carries but contested the breakdown well and was always a nuisance. Lost the lineouts. Rating: 5

6. Ryan Wilson - Missed catch early lineout. But good shift getting through to Johnny Sexton and putting him under pressure. Tackle count high but low impact from a great player. Rating: 6

7. Jamie Ritchie - Getting to Sexton and got to him well. Sexton didn't come back out and that was due to the forwards getting to him. Excellent player not effective enough today. Rating: 5

Scotland’s Josh Strauss in action against Ireland at Murrayfield. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters

8. Josh Strauss - Barged through Bundee Aki early doors. Effective ball carrier for Scotland and very busy throughout. Gave away a late penalty but Scotland's best forward. Rating: 7

Gregor Townsend - Would have been thinking Scotland could have won the game. Is coaching instilling accuracy into the players thinking? Yes. Okay so that's a few marks off. Rating: 5

Scotland’s head coach Gregor Townsend will have thought his team could’ve won Saturday’s match. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Replacements - Rob Harley clashed heads with Dell as they both missed Carbery for the Earls try. Blair Kinghorn came in early and his first act was chasing Jacob Stockdale in for his try. Second act was carrying a few Irish tackles. Inaccurate and dropped easy high ball. Overall replacements impact low. Rating: 5

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