Six Nations: ‘The wind is taken out of Scotland’s sails’ with Ireland defeat – Jones

By the time the two sides meet at Murrayfield in the 2027 Six Nations, it will have been a decade since the Scots last tasted victory over the Irish.

Andy Farrell’s side are one of the best in the world, and it is unfortunate for Townsend that his reign coincided with the strongest period in Irish rugby history.

The counterpoint is that he faced other top teams – not least a French team in the fourth round that looked like they were on their way to a Grand Slam – and devised a game plan to beat them.

However, Townsend does not appear to be any closer to solving the Irish conundrum that has destroyed his ambitions at two World Cups and several Six Nations. They will meet again in the pool stage at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

It is impossible not to judge this defeat as the final chapter of the same story, but it is worth considering that many Irish pundits and journalists considered this to be Ireland’s best performance since the 2023 World Cup.

Scotland finished their campaign with a frustrating loss in Rome and another worrying lesson in Dublin, leaving that familiar familiar feeling, but the three wins between them have provided definite reasons for optimism.

With many expecting to finish the season in the bottom half, a third place finish – Scotland’s highest ever finish in the Six Nations – represents a strong campaign. The problem is that for some of Scotland’s most experienced leaders, force is no longer enough.

“At the end of the game, you see the Irish boys lifting the Triple Crown and you know that was on the line today,” Jones said.

“You don’t know how long you’re going to be in the jersey. You don’t know when your next opportunities are going to be, if they’re going to be there or not.

“So, you have to seize any opportunity you get. We didn’t get it right. There were times in the tournament when we were brilliant. But we didn’t do it all the time. I think in this competition, to win it, you have to be at your best every week. We never achieved that.”

“I believe in this group that we have the ability to do it. But we didn’t get it right this year.”