Rate it!

33 votes

Ireland maintained their Grand Slam challenge after they came from behind to defeat Scotland 22-15 in a bruising clash at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Ireland scored the only try of the game through Jamie Heaslip (pictured) in a much-improved second-half performance that saw them fight back from a 12-9 deficit for their fourth win of the championship.

The result sets up a potential championship showdown with Wales in Cardiff next Saturday, when Ireland will look to claim only their second Grand Slam and first since 1948.

Fly-half Ronan O'Gara bounced back from a below-par effort against England two weeks ago to nail four penalties, a conversion and a drop goal for a personal haul of 17 points that saw him replace Jonny Wilkinson as the Six Nations' all-time leading points scorer.

All of Scotland's points came from the boot of recalled full-back Chris Paterson, who landed all five of his penalty attempts, but it was not enough to stop his side from falling to their third defeat of the championship.

Ireland looked nervous at the start and it was the home side who enjoyed the majority of possession and field position in a first quarter that saw Paterson move them into a deserved 9-3 lead.

O'Gara and Paterson traded further penalties in a half blighted by long periods of kicking, and although Ireland closed the gap to three points it took last-ditch tackles from Tommy Bowe and Brian O'Driscoll to stop Scotland touching down just before the interval following a break from wing Thom Evans.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney clearly had words with his players at half-time and they were much improved in the second half, upping the pace and intensity of their game with lock Paul O'Connell again outstanding.

Their reward came in the 50th minute when man-of-the-match Peter Stringer made a sniping break from a lineout.

The scrum-half was tackled short of the try line but kept his composure to feed Heaslip at full speed and the replacement number eight crashed over for his second try of the championship.

O'Gara slotted the conversion and landed a drop goal seven minutes later to extend Ireland's lead to 19-12.

Ireland continued to stretch the Scottish defence but saw their advantage cut to four points on the hour mark when prop John Hayes - who was winning a record 93rd cap for Ireland - was penalised for illegal binding.

In the 70th minute, Scotland fly-half Phil Godman was caught in possession on his own line and from the ensuing lineout replacement flanker Scott Gray was penalised for holding on.

O'Gara landed the kick on goal to restore Ireland's seven-point advantage with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The visitors had a good chance to finish off the game five minutes from time when they forced a scrum five metres from the Scots line, but they were penalised for collapsing.

But Scotland were unable to exert any real pressure on Ireland's defensive line in the closing stages and the visitors comfortably ran down the clock to give themselves a chance of Grand Slam glory in Cardiff.

Ireland lead the Six Nations table by two points, though France can draw level with the second-placed Wales on six points if they beat England at Twickenham on Sunday.

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport