Six nations 2025: Scotland against Ireland – how the home team can win

In Dublin Ireland landed a shaky start last year. In the opening minutes, they gave a penalty, a free kick, were charged and turned around. Finn Russell did it 3-0. An encouraging beginning.

Then Scotland confused. They had a number of their own line and threw them to Dan Sheehan, who passed over. This game was a real physical struggle with a four-point gap at the end. Scotland gave Ireland free seven to Shehan.

‘Cheap points’ is a term used by successive Scotland captains against Ireland. This type of wound error is an issue for the 10 defeats.

When Stuart Hogg was 14-5 in 2022, he became greedy in the corner, while Sam Johnson was free inside. Hugo Keenan got in touch. A certain attempt was gone.

The piece-de-resistance of disasters came in 2020 when Hogg left the ball in Dublin over the Ireland line. That was in the 50th minute. A converted attempt would have brought the score to 13-13. And Scotland would have had momentum.

Tony Ward, the former Ireland-Half who worked for RTE, said the Scots were the better team that day.

In 2019, Scotland quickly started in Murrayfield, just to admit a cock between Tommy Seymour and Sean Maitland.

In the previous year, Peter Horne gave Dublin at the beginning when his passport was intercepted. Scotland slaughtered several chances that day, with every mistake that was in Ireland’s mill.

Every team makes mistakes, but Scotland’s mistakes in this game are usually absolute. That has to stop.