Ireland produced a scintillating 60-minute performance at Ravenhill to maintain their proud record of never having lost to Scotland in an under-21 international. Five tries embellished a fine team display against a Scottish side that that had put 60 points on the Italians.
There were a host of outstanding performances, not least that of Blackrock College tight-head Niall Treston, Donnacha O'Callaghan and Chris McCarey up front, and the entire back-line in which Simon Keogh, Paddy Wallace and Gordon D'Arcy excelled. The fare was once again hugely entertaining as Ireland ran the Scots ragged.
The emphasis on putting the ball through the hands was once again apparent in the Irish performance, out-half Jeremy Staunton demonstrating a pronounced reluctance to kick away possession. Occasionally the home side were guilty of moving the ball laterally, lacking penetration and presenting easy targets for Scottish tacklers.
Greater composure allied to more productive angles of running yielded dividends for the Irish and the maximised the blistering pace of wings Simon Keogh and James Norton, coupled with a couple of powerful surges from a sharp looking Gordon D'Arcy at full back. However it was Scotland who took the lead with a try from right wing Bruce Ruthven.
The visitors won a lineout in the 22, set up a ruck in midfield sucking in a plethora of Irish defenders and then intelligently moved the ball to the open-side where they enjoyed a six on four numerical advantage. Calum MacRae missed the difficult conversion and three minutes later a long range penalty attempt.
Ireland responded in a positive manner. D'Arcy called for a mark from a MacRae punt, quickly tapped the ball and made 20 metres before releasing Keogh. Ireland's left wing showed blistered pace to surge between two defenders, drew full back Barry Irving to send fellow wing James Norton in for a try. Staunton converted and then kicked a penalty before the home side grabbed a second try.
Prop Niall Treston broke several tackles on a 30 metre run into Scotland's 22, John Skurr maintained the impetus and from the ruck Staunton fed D'Arcy. There appeared nothing on for the full back but he broke the first tackle, shimmied past the second to scamper over under the posts. Staunton converted and added a penalty to put Ireland 20-5 ahead. MacRae reduced the deficit with a penalty in first-half injury time.
Scotland suffered further anguish when Ireland were awarded a penalty try three minutes after the re-start. Donnacha O'Callaghan pounced on a loose ball near the Scottish line and from the ruck a Scottish hand deliberately knocked the ball down. Staunton converted and he repeated the act again on 50 minutes when Keogh showed great speed to outpace the Scottish cover to Shane Moore's intelligent chip.
Staunton was next to cross the Scottish line, and again he converted. Coach Ciaran Fitzgerald then introduced five replacements as Ireland coasted to the final whistle.
Ireland U-21: G D'Arcy (Lansdowne); J Norton (UCD), P Wallace (UCD), S Moore (UCD, capt), S Keogh (Old Belvedere); J Staunton (Garryowen) K Campbell (London Irish); N Foxe (St Mary's College), A Flavin (London Irish), N Treston (Blackrock College); D O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution), P O'Connell (Young Munster); J Skurr (Otley), C McCarey (Ballymena), A Hughes (Dungannon). Replacements: A O'Brien (UCD) for Foxe 69 mins; A Kearney (UCD) for Skurr 69 mins; B Urqhart (DU) for Flavin 69 mins; K Lewis (DU) for Norton 69 mins; D McCombe (Kircaldy) for Wallace 73 mins.
Scotland U-21: B Irving (Glasgow Caledonians); B Ruthven (Melrose), I McInroy (Glasgow Caledonians), R Stewart (Hull University), K Davidson (Hawick); C MacRae (Melrose), R Blake (Bristol); E Murray (Glasgow Southern), D Hall (Hillhead-Jordanhill), B Douglas (Heriot's FP); A Hall (Moseley), T Palmer (Leeds); A Brown (Dundee HSFP), S Taylor (Heriot's FP), D MacFadyen (Glasgow Caledonians, capt). Replacements: R Mathieson (Harlequins) for Douglas 60 mins; A Henderson (West of Scotland) for Stewart 68 mins; R Couper (Boroughmuir) for Davidson 70 mins; R Maxton (S Melville) for Brown 73 mins.
Referee: G Simmonds (Wales).
