Ireland booked their spot in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals in emphatic fashion last night, with a 36-14 demolition of Scotland at the Stade de France.
The match was done and dusted as the sides went into the dressing rooms at half-time, with an uber clinical Ireland swatting aside the Scottish defence to secure the four-try bonus points and a 26-0 lead.
Ireland have gone into quarter-finals in confident moods before - only to be soundly dumped out in the last eight - and it begs the question whether this time is different, or is it déja vu?
Ireland topping their tough group in style with 19 points, would suggest that it is indeed different, and the acclaimed Guardian writer, Jonathan Liew, thought as much in his column.
READ HERE: Ireland At The Rugby World Cup: Quarterfinal Draw, Fixtures, Ticket Info
READ HERE: 'If Ireland Are Going To Win A Rugby World Cup, They'll Feel Like It's Now'
"It’s not in their heads," wrote Liew.
Not any more. It was in the bar rooms and front rooms of Cork and Clontarf, Dublin and Dundalk. It was in the lanes and boulevards of Paris, where optimism and hope flowed like the waters of the Seine. I
t was in the stands at the Stade de France, where every tackle brought the house down and the Mexican waves were being rolled out long before the end.
And most importantly it was out there on the field, where the 23 men of Ireland strode into the quarter-finals of the World Cup as if it were the most natural instinct in the world.
They came not just to praise the new Ireland, but to bury the old one. An Ireland that always seemed to spasm in games like this. An Ireland that felt the pressure.
Rugby World Cup - Ireland Roll Over Scotland In Paris
One thing Ireland don't get enough credit for is how they can have such a dominant international team and still 3 of their provinces are putting out basically full strength teams in URC warm-up games. Incredible depth of talent across both countries
— Scottish Rugby Podcast 🏳️⚧️🇫🇯 (@ScotRugbyPod) October 8, 2023
READ HERE: Johnny Sexton And Andy Farrell Hit Back At Celebration Police After Huge Ireland Win Over Scotland
Scotland came into the Ireland game in possession of a back-line with a dangerous reputation, lead by the likes of Finn Russell, and wingers Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe.
Unfortunately for the Scots, Ireland's defence was superb, and in his player ratings for The Herald Scotland, Euan Booth Robertson lamented the stifling of Graham and van der Merwe.
"Dazzled last weekend against Romania but he was well-marshalled by Ireland’s brilliant defence. Graham was unable to showcase his attacking excellence and he was targeted under the high ball."
"Ireland completed limited one of Scotland’s most dangerous threats. Van der Merwe has been a revelation but he was unable to demonstrate his pace and power. It ended a disappointing World Cup."
I am Irish for the next few weeks. #zombie
— Seamus Hamilton (@jimhamilton4) October 7, 2023
READ HERE: James Lowe Not Hospitalised For Eye Injury, But Ireland Face Nervous Wait With Injuries
Irish journalists Peter O'Reilly and Tom English, working with English publications, both waxed lyrical about Ireland and their immense travelling support.
"They believe, as do their supporters," wrote English for BBC Sport Scotland.
The scenes at the end were remarkable, the stadium full of Irish noise and Irish colour. Powerful.
On roads and railways they moved as one earlier in the day, a sea of green.
There were many thousands of Scots in town, but they were outnumbered by a bewildering margin. World number one on the pitch and, quite obviously, world number one off it. This was an immense night for them.
"During a week of spreadsheets and permutations and crackpot conspiracy theories," O'Reilly wrote in the Sunday Times.
"No one seemed to leave much room for this outcome: an Irish demolition job so thorough and so clinical that it probably surprised even their huge, manically devoted army of supporters.
"It won’t have surprised the Irish players themselves, though. Nor would it have surprised the New Zealanders who will face them in the quarter-final back here in Saint-Denis next Saturday evening."
𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐘 🚀 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄!
That is brilliant!#IREvSCO | #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/smavFi8wj9
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 7, 2023
"While the Irish defence was outstanding before the two consolation scores, their attack was just as effective, operating with surgical precision," Wright wrote for Planet Rugby.
"Even when winger Mack Hansen left the pitch injured, Ireland were sublime with Stuart McCloskey coming into the centres and Ringrose shifting to the wing.
"While that kind of shake-up would lead to some inaccuracies it did not for this side as McCloskey sharply linked up with Johnny Sexton on the loop, with the Irish captain sending Bundee Aki crashing into a gap, and he and Ringrose produced stupendous offloads as Hugo Keenan grabbed his side’s second score."
New Zealanders would have been watching the Scotland match with intrigue, with the win confirming the quarter-final meeting between the All Blacks and Ireland.
Since 2016, the Ireland - New Zealand rivalry has been one of the best in World Rugby, and after Ireland's 2-1 series win in 2022, Ian Foster and his side will be desperate for revenge.
"You live, you lose, and you learn," Marc Hinton said for Stuff NZ.
"Ian Foster is pretty sure his All Blacks wouldn’t be the team they are today without the harsh realities dished up at the hands of the Ireland team they must now defeat to progress to the semifinals of this Rugby World Cup.
"In a delicious twist of Irony, the All Blacks must now overcome the team that has arguably shaped them the most in these four years under Foster to advance at this global tournament. They must morph from pupils into masters, or they will be going home as early as they have ever departed a World Cup.
"For the All Blacks it’s a rematch of epic proportions".
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