'Shot at history passes Scotland by amid Irish ferocity'
They emptied the tank in trying to keep themselves alive, fighting against the shortcomings in their attacking game - this was the polar opposite of a week ago against France - and a big error count brought on by the relentless heat of Irish pressure. They never really got to grips with the day. To rattle Ireland they needed a fast start and a lead, which they've rarely had in this game.
In the 11 meetings leading up to this one they had led for just 65 minutes of 880 minutes. You can now make that 65 minutes out of 960. Astonishing.
'Not the end' for Scotland after Six Nations hopes end - Tuipulotu When Finn Russell's try and conversion made it 19-14 there was a brief moment of hope, but Ireland responded within just three minutes. When Rory Darge gave new life to belief that a comeback might - might - happen with a wonderful team try, again Ireland hit back nine minutes later. Hope snuffed out.
Scotland threatened, but the hosts were always in control. This was a victory largely built on ferocity - Andy Farrell's team made somewhere between 227 and 232 tackles, their highest tally in 15 years - but the subtlety of some of their tries, the ambition and accuracy in their attack was something special. Unexpected and gobsmacking.
If this is Ireland in transition, the finished product is going to be a truly scary thing. Tadhg Beirne was crucial in Ireland's victory over Scotland With six minutes to go in this recurring Scottish nightmare, Ireland led by 15 points, a fair reflection of the brutality they visited upon the visitors, a reward for their relentless physical pressure on both sides of the ball. The visitors banged a penalty into touch.