FOR the first time in Celtic Cup history, the trophy was won before game three, after Ireland saw off hosts Scotland, then Wales, to take the trophy for the third year in a row.
IRELAND started well against SCOTLAND – hosts of the triangular tournament at Edinburgh’s Oriam Performance Centre – and the 30-0 lead built in the first 17 minutes in the end sealed the encounter, with the remainder as even as the 70-40 final score made out.
It took less than three minutes for Ireland to open their account, after Cian Horgan went over for their first try.
Horgan went over for his second try on seven minutes, quickly followed by Toby Burton-Carter, before Peter Johnston’s brace of tries added to his 100 percent kicking record.
Six more tries were scored in the first half, starting with Scotland’s first on 19 minutes, as the teams evenly traded scores for Ireland to go into the break with a 46-16 lead.
Max Owen scored a brace of tries for Scotland, with Calum Davidson adding another and converting twice.
For Ireland, Horgan completed his hat-trick, and there were also tries for Mel Griffith and Tom Martin. Goals were added by Johnston and Burton-Carter.
Scotland scored early in the second half through a Davidson try and goal, but the Irish weren’t going to give up their grip on the title so easily.
Ireland’s second-half tries came from Joe Calcott, who got a brace, and Maurice Noonan, with Martin and Burton-Carter each adding their second.
Oran Spain kicked a goal, as did Johnston, in the last play of the match.
Calum Japes and Mark Robertson went over for Scotland, with Owen completing his hat-trick two minutes from time. Robertson added two goals and Davidson one.
Against WALES, the Irish took a 16-0 lead, thanks to two tries and two goals from Johnston, after a Calcott opener, but the score was 26-22 at half-time.
Stuart Williams scored an unconverted try back for Wales on 15 minutes, before Horgan scored IRELAND’s fourth with Johnston converting.
Wales made a comeback to level the scores. Matthew Turner scored two tries and converting three times on his international debut, whilst skipper Jodie Boyd-Ward also went over.
But an unconverted try from Horgan gave Ireland a slender advantage at the break.
Ireland increased their lead early on through a Jack Mangan try that Johnston improved before a Williams try and Turner goal brought the score to 32-28.
Again the sides swapped tries, with Mangan adding his second and Burton-Carter converting, before Jamie Reynolds scored an unconverted try for Wales, eventually going over for a second.
But two further tries from Calcott, both converted by Burton-Carter, sealed the 50-38 win for Ireland.
So, in the first ever Celtic Cup ‘dead-rubber’, WALES took silver after a tense 50-46 win over SCOTLAND, with Turner’s goalkicking the difference as the try count was tied on nine each.
Wales went into a 22-0 lead thanks to two tries and three goals from Turner, with Stuart Williams and Sargent also going over, before an unconverted Dave Hill try on 23 minutes got Scotland on the scoresheet.
But Wales went into the break 34-14 up thanks to tries from Sargent and Jason Reynolds, both converted by Turner, whilst Davidson scored a try and goal for Scotland, with Owen adding a try.
Sargent’s hat-trick try, after just a minute of the second half, converted by Turner, increased the lead to 40-14, and despite a Scottish comeback, Wales held on for victory.
Davidson did most of the damage for Scotland. He ended up with four tries and five goals, the final of both being the last scores of the game with three minutes remaining to set up a nervy climax. Owen went over for two more tries with Arran King adding one.
But it was thanks to newcomer Sid Ramsey, who scored his first two international tries, one of which was converted by Turner, that Wales clinched victory.
Former World Cup winner James Simpson-Hill became the second wheelchair player to ever turn out for both England and Scotland after he played against Wales.
SCOTLAND 40 IRELAND 70
SCOTLAND: 1 Calum Davidson, 2 Arran King, 4 Dave Hill, 6 Calum Japes, 7 Sarah Devlin. Subs (all used): 9 Max Owen, 10 Mark Robertson, 12 Olivia Fulton
Tries: Owen (19, 28, 78), Davidson (34, 42), Japes (51), Robertson (68); Goals: Davidson 4/5, Robertson 2/2
IRELAND: 4 Toby Burton-Carter, 9 Joe Calcott, 5 Mel Griffith, 15 Peter Johnston, 2 Cian Horgan. Subs (all used): 12 Maurice Noonan, 6 Tom Martin, 1 Oran Spain
Tries: Horgan (3, 7, 31), Burton-Carter (9, 80), Johnston (12, 17), Griffith (22), Martin (39, 59), Calcott (45, 54), Noonan (63); Goals: Johnston 7/7, Burton-Carter 1/2, Spain 1/1, Horgan 0/1, Martin 0/2
Referee: Jake Brook
IRELAND 50 WALES 38
IRELAND: 9 Joe Calcott, 5 Mel Griffith, 2 Cian Horgan, 10 Jack Mangan, 15 Peter Johnston. Subs (all used): 4 Toby Burton-Carter, 15 Phil Roberts, 1 Oran Spain, 6 Tom Martin
Tries: Calcott (1, 66, 72), Johnston (10, 13), Horgan (18, 40), Mangan (42, 53); Goals: Johnston 4/6, Burton-Carter 3/3
WALES: 5 Jodie Boyd-Ward, 7 Stuart Williams, 10 Mark Williams, 1 Matthew Turner, 12 Sid Ramsey. Subs: 3 Lee Sargent, 2 Jamie Reynolds, 14 Harry Mitchell-Jones
Tries: S Williams (15, 44), Turner (25, 31), Boyd-Ward (29), Reynolds (56, 78); Goals: Turner 5/7
Referee: Ollie Cruickshank
SCOTLAND 46 WALES 50
SCOTLAND: 14 Hamish Douglas, 3 James Simpson-Hill, 4 Dave Hill, 7 Sarah Devlin, 1 Calum Davidson. Subs: 2 Arran King, 9 Max Owen, 12 Olivia Fulton
Tries: Hill (23), Davidson (29, 45, 47, 77), Owen (40, 51, 70), King (61); Goals: Davidson 5/8, Douglas 0/1
WALES: 7 Stuart Williams, 14 Harry Mitchell-Jones, 1 Matthew Turner, 2 Jamie Reynolds, 3 Lee Sargent. Subs: 11 Jason Reynolds, 12 Sid Ramsey, 10 Mark Williams
Tries: S Williams (7), Turner (10, 14), Sargent (12, 26, 42), Jason Reynolds (35), Ramsey (57, 64); Goals: Turner 7/9
Referee: Karli Wilkinson