Gregor Townsend hasn’t got the better of the Irish, ranked second in the world at the moment, since taking over from Vern Cotter as head coach in May 2017, their last win against them having been in February of that year at home at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, by 27-22, thanks to two tries from Hawick’s Stuart Hogg and one from Alex Dunbar, with Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw adding three conversions and two penalties.
Here’s how the ten matches since went …
March 16, 2024, Six Nations: Ireland 17, Scotland 13
Huw Jones scored Scotland’s only try in Dublin two minutes from full-time, with Finn Russell converting after kicking two penalties earlier on. Hawick’s Rory Sutherland was the only Borderer playing, coming on as a 48th-minute replacement for Pierre Schoeman, though ex-Southern Knight Rory Darge was co-captaining with Russell and Cameron Redpath was also among the replacements, being brought on just after the hour mark.
October 7, 2023, Rugby World Cup: Scotland 14, Ireland 36
Ewan Ashman and Ali Price scored tries for Scotland in France, both converted by Finn Russell, as they headed for a third-placed finish in their pool and exit from the competition. Hawick’s Darcy Graham was in the Scots’ starting XV but he was forced off by injury on 50 minutes, with George Horne taking over. Ex-Southern Knight Rory Darge also started and Hawick’s Rory Sutherland was brought on as a 53rd-minute replacement for Pierre Schoeman.
March 12, 2023, Six Nations: Scotland 7, Ireland 22
Hawick’s Stuart Hogg made his 100th and last appearance for Scotland as they were beaten by three tries to one in Edinburgh, with Huw Jones touching down for the hosts, captained by jamie Ritchie, and Finn Russell converting.
March 19, 2022, Six Nations: Ireland 26, Scotland 5
Hawick’s Stuart Hogg, captaining, and Darcy Graham both played all 80 minutes as Scotland went down by four tries to one in Dublin, with Pierre Schoeman touching down the visitors’ consolation effort.
March 14, 2021, Six Nations: Scotland 24, Ireland 27
Finn Russell, Huw Jones and Hamish Watson touched down, with Russell adding a conversion and penalty and Hawick’s Stuart Hogg two conversions, in Edinburgh as Ireland overtook Scotland on their leaderboard for head-to-head wins for the first time, by 67 to 66. Hogg skippered and fellow ex-Green Rory Sutherland played for the first 66 minutes, going off for Jamie Bhatti at that point, with another ex-Hawick player, Darcy Graham, making a 63rd-minute appearance as a replacement for Russell.
December 5, 2020, Autumn Nations Cup: Ireland 31, Scotland 16
Duhan van der Merwe scored Scotland’s only try and fellow South African Jaco van der Walt, making his international debut, kicked a conversion and three penalties as a side featuring Hawick’s Stuart Hogg, captaining, and, for the first hour or so, fellow ex-Greens Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland, taken off for Sean Maitland and Oli Kebble, lost out in Dublin.
February 1, 2020, Six Nations: Ireland 19, Scotland 12
Adam Hastings kicked four penalties as captain Stuart Hogg’s team, featuring fellow ex-Green Rory Sutherland, replaced by Allan Dell on 65 minutes, lost at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
September 22, 2019, Rugby World Cup: Scotland 3, Ireland 27
A penalty kicked by Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw supplied Scotland’s only points as they headed for a third-placed finish in their pool and exit from the cup in Japan. Hawick’s Stuart Hogg played for the full 80 minutes, fellow ex-Green Darcy Graham for the last 22 after replacing Tommy Seymour and Laidlaw, taken off for Ali Price, for the first 62.
February 9, 2019, Six Nations: Scotland 13, Ireland 22
Sam Johnson scored the Scots’ only try and Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw, skippering, kicked one conversion and two penalties as the Irish ended their hosts’ seven-game winning streak at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in the championship. Hawick’s Stuart Hogg played for the first 17 minutes, with Blair Kinghorn replacing him.
March 10, 2018, Six Nations: Ireland 28, Scotland 8
Blair Kinghorn scored Scotland’s only try in Dublin in reply to their hosts’ four, with Jedburgh’s Greig Laidlaw converting before going off on 67 minutes for Ali Price. Hawick’s Stuart Hogg played for the full match and Selkirk’s Lee Jones stood in for Blair Kinghorn for eight minutes in the first half.
See also …
1. Scotland v Ireland at rugby
March 16, 2024, Six Nations: Ireland 17, Scotland 13 Huw Jones scored Scotland’s only try in Dublin two minutes from full-time, with Finn Russell converting after kicking two penalties earlier on. Hawick’s Rory Sutherland was the only Borderer playing, coming on as a 48th-minute replacement for Pierre Schoeman, though ex-Southern Knight Rory Darge was co-captaining with Russell and Cameron Redpath was also among the replacements, being brought on just after the hour mark. Redpath is pictred ahead of that game at the Aviva Stadium (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
2. Scotland v Ireland at rugby
October 7, 2023, Rugby World Cup: Scotland 14, Ireland 36 Ewan Ashman and Ali Price scored tries for Scotland in France, both converted by Finn Russell, as they headed for a third-placed finish in their pool and exit from the competition. Hawick’s Darcy Graham was in the Scots’ starting XV but he was forced off by injury on 50 minutes, pictured, with George Horne taking over. Ex-Southern Knight Rory Darge also started and Hawick’s Rory Sutherland was brought on as a 53rd-minute replacement for Pierre Schoeman (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
3. Scotland v Ireland at rugby
March 12, 2023, Six Nations: Scotland 7, Ireland 22 Hawick’s Stuart Hogg, pictured being tackled by Garry Ringrose, made his 100th and last appearance for Scotland as they were beaten by three tries to one in Edinburgh, with Huw Jones touching down for the hosts and Finn Russell converting (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images) Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
4. Scotland v Ireland at rugby
March 19, 2022, Six Nations: Ireland 26, Scotland 5 Hawick’s Stuart Hogg, captaining, and Darcy Graham, pictured being tackled by Josh van der Flier and James Lowe, both played all 80 minutes as Scotland went down by four tries to one in Dublin, with Pierre Schoeman touching down the visitors’ consolation effort (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images