YOKOHAMA –Top-ranked Ireland put
aside their stuttering 2019 form with a clinical 27-3 victory
over their main Pool A rivals Scotland to open their World Cup
campaign in convincing style in Yokohama on Sunday.
Forwards James Ryan, Rory Best and Tadhg Furlong all crossed
in the first 25 minutes and winger Andrew Conway secured the
bonus point with the fourth try in the second half, with a
single Greig Laidlaw penalty all Scotland had to show.
There will be concern though that injury-prone flyhalf
Johnny Sexton gave up kicking duties early on, and flanker Peter
O'Mahony and centre Bundee Aki left early with head injuries.
With the flat, unsuccessful defence of their 2018 Six
Nations title still hanging over them, Ireland were desperate to
get up and running quickly in Japan and did exactly that as the
three early tries put them in total control.
Encouragingly for coach Joe Schmidt, the first two came from
clean lineout ball, putting to bed some of the concerns over his
team as well as his much-debated call to leave go-to jumper and
caller Devin Toner at home.
The opener on six minutes was all about the rampaging
second-row pair of Iain Henderson and Ryan as Henderson's burst
through the middle to set Ireland's utterly dominant pack up
close to the Scottish line and it did not take long for Ryan to
power his way over the line.
Ireland's second was a simpler forwards' effort with hooker
Best following up another accurate throw near the Scottish line
to mark his 121st test with a try.
The clear Scottish intent to test the aerial skills of the
relatively inexperienced back three of Conway, Jordan Larmour
and Jacob Stockdale - forced upon Schmidt by minor injuries to
Keith Earls and Rob Kearney - led to a couple of errors and
helped Laidlaw get them on the board with a penalty.
But it was all too easy for the Irish pack, which can be
unstoppable under Schmidt if allowed to recycle possession. They
obliged again as Furlong made it three tries from three forays
into their opponents' 22 metres.
The long threatened rain held off until late into the first
half, only galvanising Ireland's stranglehold on the game when
the disappointing Scots tried to have a go early in the second
half but were unable to get through Ireland's well organised
defence.
The slippery surface ended the game as a spectacle, not that
it mattered to the sea of green around Yokohama's International
Stadium as the travelling Irish fans drowned out the faint sound
of Scottish bagpipes.
They had one more try to cheer before the end as Conway
added the bonus point just before the hour.
By that stage scrumhalf Conor Murray had assumed kicking
duties and a not-noticeably injured Sexton then left the park,
testing Ireland's already depleted squad.
With Ireland's impressive pack likely to have too much in
six days time for a Japanese eight who were troubled up front by
Russia in their opener, Schmidt can effectively already start to
prepare for an expected quarter-final against South Africa.
The consolation prize for Scotland, if they can negotiate
their way out of the pool, will almost certainly be a last eight
encounter with holders New Zealand.