Ali comparisons as Scotland stun Ireland
Scotland's Australian interim head coach Scott Johnson jokingly
compared his side to boxing great Muhammad Ali after they came from
behind to see off Ireland 12-8 in the Six Nations at Murrayfield.
Ireland had more than 70 percent territory and possession in Sunday's
match and led 8-0 early in the second half after wing Craig Gilroy
scored the only try of the game.
But from then on, Scotland eventually made their scrum superiority
and forward dominance count, providing a platform for fly-half Greig
Laidlaw to kick all of their points with four penalties in a 100 percent
return.
By contrast 21-year-old debutant Ireland fly-half Paddy Jackson, in
for the injured Jonathan Sexton, only landed one of his four goal-kicks.
When Ali beat George Foreman in the 'Rumble in the Jungle' in Zaire in
1974, thereby regaining the world heavyweight title, he backed himself
onto the ropes in the early rounds and allowed his opponent to punch
himself out before delivering the knockout blow.
Scotland's initial approach to Sunday's match was anything but as
deliberate as Ali's celebrated strategy and they were lucky to be just
3-0 behind at half-time after Ireland spurned a couple of try-scoring
chances. “Half time I was thinking it was like Ali-Foreman, lulling them
into some false sense of security, my neck was getting sore looking down
one side of the pitch,” said Johnson, now the first Scotland coach since
Ian McGeechan in 2001 to oversee back-to-back Six Nations wins This
victory, coupled with a 34-10 defeat of Italy, left Scotland level on
points with second-placed Wales and only two behind Grand Slam-chasers
England.
Johnson acknowledged Scotland had ridden their luck against an
Ireland side who, for all they were missing four players through injury,
should have killed the game off before half-time.
“I kept talking about how the wins will come when we get out part
right, this time we got the win without getting out part right,” said
Johnson, promoted from within the Scotland set-up following Andy
Robinson's resignation after the shock loss to Tonga in November.
“Let's put our qualities together with the strong character we showed
today (Sunday).
AFP
|
