15 Hugo Keenan
Two tries, excellent positional play and a calming influence for his team-mates knowing that he sweeps up whatever comes his way in the backfield. A couple of missed tackles but another high-quality performance. Rating: 8
14 Mack Hansen
He had a hand in Ireland’s opening try of the match, providing the scoring pass for James Lowe. He might have scored a try of his own but was stripped just short of the line following a heavy tackle from behind and hit his head hard off the ground. He went off for a HIA, returned, but went off again. Rating: 7
13 Garry Ringrose
His try was probably the most straightforward aspect of his night in which he was outstanding in an attacking capacity. He created space and tries for others with equal facility, his timing, angles of running and timing of the pass exquisite. A little leggy towards the end but he’d emptied the tank. Rating: 9
12 Bundee Aki
He’s been Ireland’s player of the tournament in terms of the consistent quality that he has offered and this display was typical of that high-level input and impact. Broke tackles, dumped Scots on their rears and has been a byword for greatness in this tournament. Rating: 9
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11 James Lowe
The scorer of Ireland’s first try, he looked dynamic in terms of his work-rate on both sides of the ball until he picked up an eye injury in tackling Darcy Graham. He played on but didn’t reappear for the second half. Rating: 7
10 Johnny Sexton
It’s those moments of quality, the small touches, the timing of the passes, straightening the line, getting a second involvement and reading the game that mark him as a superb footballer. He managed the game until the victory was assured and departed. Rating: 8
9 Jamison Gibson-Park
A thoroughly deserved man-of-the-match, a stunning performance, both at scrumhalf and on the wing where he filled in with panache. His speed of thought and deed was first class, all facets of his kicking and his ability to cover the backfield too. Rating: 9
1 Andrew Porter
He forced a scrum penalty, won another at the breakdown, carried and tackled with his usual vigour, all in the 48 minutes in which he was involved. Given the fact that he usually plays 70-plus, he’ll appreciate the ‘half-day’ at the coalface. Rating: 9
2 Dan Sheehan
One of Ireland’s try scorers, his lineout throwing was first class ensuring that the platform was blemish free, part of a unit that worked superbly. Carried with his usual ferocity, twice breaking into open field, and made his power felt in a couple of tackles. Rating: 8
3 Tadhg Furlong
He had some ice on his left shoulder in the dressingroom ahead of the game, but it didn’t stop him from putting in an industrious shift before being replaced. Pinged at a scrum but there is a suspicion that Pierre Schoeman didn’t take the hit properly. Rating: 8
[ Talking point: The Irish lineout was perfect against ScotlandOpens in new window ]
4 Tadhg Beirne
A huge shift, 13 tackles, one typical turnover at a crucial time that gave the team some respite when they were under pressure. A lineout option when Peter O’Mahony was hoovering up Irish ball and also chipped in with some of the hard yards. Rating: 8
5 Iain Henderson
He ran the lineout with aplomb as he’d been charged to do and chipped in with a try, powering over from close range. He worked very hard when some of his team-mates were flagging and it did leave him exposed in the wider channels but that was down to his selfless work-rate. Rating: 8
6 Peter O’Mahony
A quite brilliant contribution on his 100th cap, lineout titan on Irish and Scottish ball, breakdown irritant, runner of brilliant lines, trash talker extraordinaire, a monumental 48-minutes before he was replaced ahead of a date with the All Blacks. Rating: 9
7 Josh van der Flier
Massive performance from the openside flanker, typically relentless in his tackling (21) with the highest completion rate of any of the Irish forwards who started the game. He straightened and carried with purpose, and this gave his team several positive gainlines Rating: 9
[ Ireland 36 Scotland 14: As it happenedOpens in new window ]
8 Caelan Doris
Another player who hit the heights with sheer depth of quality but also a voracious work ethic that can be gleaned from a monumental 22 tackles and he also carried time and again off static ball to give his team something to play towards. Rating: 9
Replacements
Stuart McCloskey was summoned early to replace Mack Hansen and had a major contribution for the Iain Henderson try, while also mustering two turnovers. Jack Crowley demonstrated several lovely touches, not least his cross-kick for the Ringrose try. Ronan Kelleher was probably the pick of the bench in terms of the most consistent impact in quality terms. Rating: 8
Coach
Andy Farrell might reconsider if he had his time again about making the five changes in one go early in the second half as a couple of Irish players appeared to be carrying niggles into the final quarter of the game. But in terms of coming up with a game plan for the first 50 and preparing his team, there can be no quibbles. Ratings: 8
