Dublin delivered a Friday night classic as Ireland Club XV ran in six tries to beat Scotland Club XV 42-33 in an 11-try spectacular at Energia Park and lift the Dalriada Cup for the first time in 20 years.
Twenty years after the very first club international between the two nations ended with Ireland victorious, history repeated itself in spectacular style. Bobby Sheehan’s hat-trick, relentless Irish attack, and a brutal second-half fightback from the Scots made this the most entertaining Dalriada Cup clash in years.
Sheehan Hat-Trick Sets the Tone in Brutal First Half
Ireland wasted no time stamping their authority on the game.
Conor Kelly’s perfect cross-kick found Bobby Sheehan in the ninth minute, and the hooker powered over for the opening score. Scotland hit back instantly through Andrew Mitchell, who finished a slick move started by Bobby Beattie’s skip pass, but Ireland never looked rattled.
Mitchell grabbed his second soon after to give Scotland a shock 7-12 lead, yet that only seemed to wake the hosts.
From there it was one-way traffic. Adam Maher, Sheehan again from a driving maul, Ronan Watters after Kelly’s line-break, and Sheehan completing his hat-trick just before the break saw Ireland race into a commanding 35-12 half-time lead.
Ireland scored five tries in the opening 36 minutes and looked untouchable.
Scotland Refuse to Lie Down in Dramatic Second Half
The Scots could have folded. Instead, they came out swinging.
Andrew Mitchell completed his own hat-trick five minutes after the restart, finishing Fraser Renwick’s patient maul work. When Aran Egan replied for Ireland to make it 42-19, many thought the game was done.
They were wrong.
Substitutes injected serious life into the Scottish effort. Archie Barbour, Callum Anderson, and Sam Wallace turned the tide. Gregor Christie scored almost immediately after coming on, then Barbour finished a sweeping move in the 78th minute to bring Scotland within nine points at 42-33.
With Ireland reduced to 14 men after using all their replacements and the clock ticking down, the visitors smelled blood. A desperate final attack ended only when a knock-on handed possession back to Ireland, who kicked the ball dead to spark wild celebrations.
Scotland scored 21 unanswered points in the second half and came within one converted try of the most improbable comeback.
Key Performers Who Lit Up Energia Park
Bobby Sheehan (Ireland) – Hat-trick hero, unstoppable from close range and led the maul brilliantly.
Andrew Mitchell (Scotland) – Also bagged a hat-trick and was the standout visitor on a tough night.
Conor Kelly (Ireland) – Pulled the strings perfectly, kicked superbly, and created two tries.
Archie Barbour (Scotland) – Bench impact was massive. Changed the game when introduced and scored the late try that made everyone believe.
Blair Macpherson (Scotland captain) – Led by example with huge carries in the first quarter.
The match produced 75 points and 11 tries, the highest-scoring Dalriada Cup game since records began. Both sets of players left everything on the pitch in front of a passionate Dublin crowd that stayed until the very end.
For Ireland, reclaiming the cup on the 20th anniversary of the fixture feels poetic. For Scotland, the second-half performance showed exactly what this proud club side is capable of, even in defeat.
This is why we love club international rugby. Raw, passionate, and played with hearts on sleeves.
What did you make of that second-half Scottish fightback? Were Ireland worthy winners or did Scotland leave too much out there in the first half? Drop your thoughts below and use #DalriadaCup if you’re sharing the madness on social media.
