Capturing the ninth Irish Triple Crown since the start of the Six Nations era in 2004 was celebrated as much as any recent championship triumph. Perhaps a little spoilt by success in recent years, the level of expectation in Irish rugby is often in danger of running ahead of itself. There were just six Irish Triple Crown successes in 102 years from the inception of the competition in 1883 to 1985, illustrating the long barren years Irish rugby endured. Since then, Triple Crown and championship wins have been more frequent. In contrast, Scotland came to Dublin on Saturday hoping to bridge a 36-year gap since their last Triple Crown.

Source: The Irish Times March 16, 2026 09:46 UTC