After a disappointing second 40 minutes against Ireland yesterday, where Scotland failed to score a single point, and the subsequent loss, centre Sam Tuipulotu managed to come out with his reputation still intact as he continued his fine Six Nations form.
Key to his good play has been his partnership with Huw Jones, with the two men putting every side they have faced under huge pressure, with their lines of running, passing, and pace.
And it bore fruit again in the first half at Murrayfield with the two men combining for Scotland's only try of the match, before Ireland pulled away in the second-half.
After the game, Tuipulotu was in awe of the level of Ireland's play, naming them as the best he as faced, and noting that Scotland must figure out how to counter them before the two sides meet at the World Cup.
That was my first time playing Ireland in my career and that’s definitely the best team I’ve played. We had the All Blacks here in the autumn and we played France last week. I think Ireland’s biggest strength is their clinical edge and we’ve got to learn quickly to get that if we want to beat them at the World Cup.
Sione Tuipulotu Was More Than Impressed With Ireland
Scottish pressure pays off as Huw Jones barges over
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“We came up against a good side but going in at half-time I really felt the belief," added Tuipulotu. "But they’re so clinical. They lost both their hookers and [flanker] Josh van der Flier started throwing in darts, and I think that shows their clinical edge. We’ve got to learn quickly. We’ve got Ireland in our pool at the World Cup, everyone knows that..
“This is probably my first time experiencing the whole thing in terms of the build-up to a big game, I’m chilling in the team room and there’s things coming out about what’s being said in the Irish press. Things like us having a soft underbelly. I really don’t think we do. It’s just they were a bit more clinical in the second half. I’m really cut up about it. We’ve scored a lot of tries in the other games, whereas we only scored one today.
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