As a neutral that game wasn't great.
Neither team were that far away from looking pretty damn good though, teething troubles are normal first hit up so I'd expect both to improve. Of course supporters of each team will be more negative about their respective performances, as I will tomorrow - one of the ties that binds each of the 6 Nations together is the stubborn pessimism of all of their supporters about their own teams. It's one of joys of this forum, an understated pleasure those relentlessly ******* positive Southern Hemisphere-ists will never understand.
The difference between the teams, for me, was their attacking rucks. Ireland cleared every ruck quickly, efficiently and powerfully (as they generally do) and Scotland sometimes took a split second too long to get their men there, so they got turned over a few times and their attacking ball slowed down. There was a point, late in the second half I think, where Hamish Watson got in a great position over the ball, turnover looked likely for a split second then he got creamed by two Irish forwards at absolute full power, job done. Never happened once the other way round that I remember. Ireland at their best probably clear their own rucks better than any other team in the world, an underrated skill in my opinion.
Hogg dropping the ball was ******* golden. Couldn't have happened to a nicer fella. "Everyone hates the English" do they Iain? Everyone loves not dropping the ball over the line you cocky prick. Ha
