As the TikTok Six Nations comes to a close this weekend, attention draws towards Ireland's final match against Scotland in Edinburgh. It's been a tough Six Nations to say the least - both on and off the field. Ireland have had a tough run of form, losing all four of their matches so far in the tournament. However, there was a glimmer of hope in their performance last week against England. They were the only side in the championship to keep England to under 50 points, and even managed to keep them scoreless for thirty minutes in the second half. Two lates tries from England certainly put a damper on what could have been a very promising result for Ireland.
Scotland, on the other hand, have just enjoyed their first victory of the tournament, defeating Italy 29-21. They are currently fourth in the table on five points, with Italy just behind them on four points. Ireland, unfortunately, find themselves propping up the table with no points to their name. You may think that this final game is a dead rubber - but it couldn't be further from the truth. The final standings from this Six Nations will have a significant impact on the rankings for the next two years for the new upcoming WXV series which will see international teams across the globe go head-to-head. Finishing bottom will see Ireland ranked in the lowest grade which certainly won't help build the foundations.
Despite the differing fortunes of the two teams, Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams is expecting a tough challenge. "This will be like a Cup final," he said. "It's exciting. It's another opportunity for us to challenge ourselves. We'll keep trying to get better. Working on aspects of our game. Against England, the players worked so hard for each other. That's something to be proud of."
One positive for Ireland is that McWilliams has named an unchanged team for the first time in the tournament, with prop Linda Djougang passing a HIA and Dorothy Wall returning from injury to the bench.
For Scotland, captain Rachel Malcolm knows that Ireland will provide a physical challenge. "The last couple of games we've had against them have probably been some of the most physical games that I've played," she said. "They love that up front battle. They are quite a physical pack. They've built across the championship. They're probably the team that have rattled England the most. They've had a tough run, similar to us, in terms of results."
Scotland will be hoping for a record home crowd at the DAM Health Stadium, with over 4,000 tickets sold. And with Ireland needing a bonus point win to avoid the wooden spoon, both teams will be eager to put in a strong performance in the tournament finale.
Her Sport are hosting a Watch Party for Scotland vs Ireland in the Giddy Dolphin at 6:45pm. Come down and watch the match with fellow supporters!
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