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Joey Carbery steered Ireland to a redemptive but patchy 22-13 Guinness Six Nations victory over Scotland, as Joe Schmidt’s men edged back to winning ways in Edinburgh.
Johnny Sexton suffered a nasty-looking facial injury as the British and Irish Lions talisman copped a string of big hits from the hosts, leaving Munster fly-half Carbery to pilot Ireland home.
Conor Murray, Jacob Stockdale and Keith Earls all crossed for Ireland, while Sam Johnson replied for Scotland with Greig Laidlaw posting eight points from the boot.
Conor Murray scored the opening try of the game as he capitalised on a loose pass to ease over the line
The scrum half chased a kick forward and when Tommy Seymour misplaced a pass he was clear to run in and score
Ireland scored their second try of the afternoon just moments later when Jacob Stockdale raced away from the defence
Stockdale came off his wing to take a pop pass from Johnny Sexton before speeding all the way home from around 50 metres
Sam Johnson touched down for Scotland 10 minutes before half-time after some fantastic work by team-mate Finn Russell
Russell intercepted a loose pass and sprinted down field before lifting the ball into the onrushing Johnson as he was tackled
After a nervy opening to the second-half, Keith Earls managed to extend Ireland’s lead with a great breakaway try
MATCH FACTS AND SIX NATIONS STANDINGS
Scotland: Hogg, Seymour, Jones, Johnson, Maitland, Russell, Laidlaw, Dell, McInally, Berghan, Gilchrist, Gray, Wilson, Ritchie, Strauss.
Replacements: Brown, Bhatti, Rae, Toolis, Price, Horne, Kinghorn, Harley.
Tries: Johnson
Conversions: Laidlaw
Penalties: Laidlaw x2
Ireland: Kearney, Earls, Farrell, Aki, Stockdale, Sexton, Murray, Healy, Best, Furlong, Roux, Ryan, O’Mahony, O’Brien, Conan.
Replacements: Cronin, Kilcoyne, Porter, Dillane, Van der Flier, Cooney, Larmour, Carbery.
Tries: Murray, Stockdale, Earls
Conversions: Murray x1, Carbery x1
Penalties: Carbery x1
Referee: Romain Poite
Sexton’s understudy Carbery so nearly fluffed his lines when throwing an intercept pass to Finn Russell, who raced on and popped off the ground for Johnson to score.
But the 23-year-old Carbery quickly found his place in the script, wriggling free and lofting out a fine pass for Earls to score the winning try.
Scotland lost Lions full-back Stuart Hogg to a shoulder injury, with Gregor Townsend’s men unable to add enough industry to their impressive finesse.
Ireland failed to convince for long stretches in their search for a riposte following last weekend’s punishing 32-20 home loss to England.
Scrum-half Murray again struggled with his kicking out of hand, and Sexton only lasted 24 minutes before being withdrawn, with Scotland constantly targeting him physically.
Schmidt’s men found the route to victory however, and having been so shaken and bullied by England last week, he will take this win any which way.
Ireland tiptoed to half-time with an unconvincing 12-10 lead, somehow fending off strong Scotland pressure.
Murray’s poor kicking and further inaccuracy gifted Scotland plenty of territory and possession, with Russell a constant threat on the ball.
Laidlaw slotted a penalty to put Scotland first on the board, only for Ireland to strike back through huge fortune.
Tommy Seymour should have comfortably dealt with Stockdale’s chip over the top, but instead flung a wild pass that eluded the helpless Sean Maitland.
Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw makes it 3-0 after sending an early through the posts to the delight of the home supporters
Scotland winger Sean Maitland is tackled by Keith Earls of Ireland during the early stages of the contest in Edinburgh
Johnny Sexton sent his conversion of Murray’s try well wide of the posts as blustery conditions caused havoc with kickers
Scotland’s Ryan Wilson is lifted high into the air as the imposing forward claims a ball in a line out as the crowd watches on
Stuart Hogg makes his way off the field with what appeared to be a groin injury during the first 40 minutes of action
Murray nipped onto the loose ball and scooted across the line, but curiously the half-back did not dot down under the posts.
Sexton duly missed the conversion, but Ireland eased those frustrations with another quick-fire score.
Peter O’Mahony’s midfield switch with Sexton opened the door for an inside ball to Stockdale, and the Ulster winger screamed home in style.
Murray slotted the conversion, as the big hits started to take their toll on Sexton, for Ireland to lead 12-3.
Just when Ireland looked to kick on though, further errors invited Scotland back into the contest.
Sexton was forced to admit defeat in his battle to stay in the game, trotting off with a bloodied nose and facial injury.
His replacement Carbery looked to have settled quickly, but then threw a wild interception pass that Russell gobbled up and hared towards the line.
Earls hunted down Russell in style, but the Racing 92 fly-half kept his cool and popped off the ground to the onrushing Johnson, who finished neatly.
Johnson thought he had scored before he actually did after having a try disallowed for a forward pass earlier in the attack
Russell (centre) vies with Ireland’s Bundee Aki (left) and Cian Healy as he tries to break through the game line for Scotland
Ireland’s scrum half kicks past Scotland’s Jonny Gray who attempts to charge it down as he clears his team’s lines
Ireland fly-half Jonny Sexton lies injured on the turf as he was taken off for a blood injury following a blow to the face
Substitute Carbery squeezed between two Scottish tacklers and broke clear before flighting a beautiful pass out to Earls
Carbery kicks the ball to convert the third try as he took over kicking duties from Sexton while he remained off the pitch
Laidlaw’s conversion had Scotland trailing by just two points, and Ireland’s panic set in.
Another poor Murray box kick gifted the hosts the ball, Carbery fumbled rather than collected and Earls had to sweep and roll into touch just five metres out.
Ireland disrupted the line-out but Rory Best had to touch down over his own line under pressure from Stuart McInally.
Scotland twice fended off the visitors to open the second half, only to concede a poor score.
Carbery wriggled through heavy midfield traffic, arced wide and floated a fine pass out to Earls, who nipped home.
Munster pivot Carbery slotted the conversion for Ireland to lead 19-10 approaching the hour.
Laidlaw and Carbery exchanged penalties as Ireland maintained that nine-point advantage, and so it stayed, leaving Ireland mightily relieved to head home with the win.
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