Well I am really pleased:
Scotland battle back to stun Ireland and stay in Six Nations hunt
Scotland 12-8 Ireland
Ireland wing Keith Earls, centre, is tackled by Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg, left, in the Six Nations international against Murrayfield. Photograph: Ian Macnicol/AFP/Getty Images
The fresh air of optimism that has swirled around Murrayfield for a fortnight turned into something close to a gale as Scotland achieved their first back-to-back Six Nations wins in a decade to give themselves a real chance of a say in the championship.
All this came after the home side were distinctly second best for at least three-quarters of the game and barely set foot in the Irish half for 40 minutes. However, they knew how to make the best of gifts offered by two Irish fly-halves at opposite ends of their careers.
For 64 minutes the 21-year-old Paddy Jackson ran the show for Ireland, doing a lot of good things but missing three of his four kicks at goal. For the rest of the time it was Ronan O'Gara, 14 years and 127 caps Jackson's senior, who announced himself with a suicidal cross-kick and then failed to find touch, leading to Scotland's penalty that settled the day.
For Scotland Greig Laidlaw kicked four from four to turn the game on its head and the scoreline from 8-0 to Ireland 11 minutes into the second half into an improbable four-point win which denied Ireland a sixth consecutive Six Nations win at Murrayfield.
They were left to pound away at the Scotland line for the final six minutes, winning a couple of penalties in the process but ultimately giving up the game with a midfield fumble. It seemed appropriate, if unfortunate, that the player who knocked on was Luke Marshall, along with Jackson making his Test debut and suggesting he might be around for a while.
However, with France due in Dublin in a fortnight and on line for the wooden spoon, the Irish coach, Declan Kidney, has some difficult decisions to make.
He already has half a side in the sick ward and Donnacha Ryan may be joining them with a sore shoulder but he has to choose between a fly-half with potential and one who appears to be reaching his sell-by date. "We know we are going to have our hands full with that French team," said Kidney, with massive understatement.
Scott Johnson, Scotland's fifth head coach since Ireland last lost at Murrayfield in the Six Nations, was honest as usual: "We took our opportunities – the few that came our way – when they didn't take theirs. That was the only difference. We got a "W" today when we didn't get our part right. We have to be honest and say that wasn't perfect from us."
The Australian conceded that at half-time he was more than happy to be only three points down. "My neck was getting sore watching one end of the field," he said "but it's a funny thing what scoreboard pressure can do."
Ireland ended up with 71% of the possession and 77% of the territory but the first half must have been even more one-sided. Initially it looked as though the Scottish renaissance had been put on hold as Jamie Heaslip and Peter O'Mahony commanded the lineout and Marshall burst through a couple of lightweight tackles only to waste a huge scoring chance with a forward pass.
It did not look good for the Scots, especially as Paddy Jackson settled his nerves and got involved, working a scissors with Keith Earls and then linking with first Conor Murray and then Rob Kearney. The move not only won a penalty but also earned a yellow card for Ryan Grant, who was caught not retreating in the face of a tap penalty. Alas for Jackson the kick at goal was not only ugly but wide as well.
However, even the scrums were starting to go against Scotland and when Rob Harley got his timing wrong under a high ball, the screws were on again.
Ryan took a couple of lineouts and the Irish pack rumbled into midfield where Kelly Brown was caught hanging on and this time Jackson broke his Test duck. Whatever was said in the Ireland dressing-room, it brought immediate rewards.
First Sean O'Brien surged through the Scotland midfield only to lose his legs 25 metres into the dash and 15 metres short. Rob Kearney then looked to have completed the job, before Craig Gilroy did, spinning his way through tackles from Ross Ford and Jim Hamilton.
Once again Jackson missed with the kick and with another penalty minutes later. Suddenly the balance of the game changed with three rapid penalties from Laidlaw which took Scotland from eight points down to one point ahead in 10 minutes. That was the point at which Kidney clearly thought that eight wasted points were enough and summoned O'Gara.
Scotland Hogg; Maitland, Lamont, Scott, Visser; Jackson (Weir 59), Laidlaw; Grant, Ford, Cross (Lowe, 73), Gray, Hamilton (Kellock, 72), Harley, Brown (capt), Beattie (Denton, 71).
Pens Laidlaw 4. Sin-bin Grant (15).
Ireland Kearney; Gilroy (Fitzgerald, 59), O'Driscoll, Marshall, Earls; Jackson (O'Gara 64), Murray (Reddan, 69); Court (Kilcoyne, 54), Best, Ross, O'Callaghan, Ryan (Toner, 71), O'Mahony (Henderson, 71), O'Brien, Heaslip (capt)
Try Gilroy Pen Jackson.
