Stat breakdown - Scotland vs Ireland

Possession – Ireland dominated the possession statistics in both halves of this Six Nations clash. Despite their poor first half performance they still had the majority of both the ball and the territory. However, they were unable to convert their possession dominance into points on the score board which is credit to Scotland’s defence and their impressive ability to soak up pressure and force Ireland into making errors.

Tackling – Again, Ireland’s tackle success rate trumped that of Scotland. However, the Scots made almost double the number of tackles that Ireland did. This again highlights the fact that whilst Ireland had the majority of the possession, Scotland made their tackles when it mattered. It is worth noting that Jonny Gray put on an exceptional tackling display for Scotland.

Carries – Once more, it was Ireland who dominated both the carrying statistics, and the number of defenders beaten. Whilst it was Ireland who made significantly more meters than the Scots, the home side’s carrying was more effective, drew more defenders and ultimately led to more tries and penalties.

Surprisingly this is Scotland’s first opening fixture win in a Six Nations tournament since 2006 against France.