Scottish Rugby

BBC Sport Scotland's Andy Burke has been answering some of your Scottish rugby questions.

George asked: How highly can we rate this Six Nations for Scotland given the fact everyone said pre-tournament we needed to beat Ireland and getting that monkey off our back was the most important thing to do?

Andy answered: Rory Lawson said on this week's BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast the Six Nations campaign was "a step rather than a leap forward" for Scotland. I think that's a fair assessment.

Going into the tournament off the back of a disappointing autumn, many people would have expected a fourth-place finish behind France, England and Ireland. Some were fearful of finishing even lower, behind Italy.

Third is a solid return and while the championship was bookended by those disappointments in Rome and Dublin, there was a lot to like in the victories in between against England, Wales and France.

The dispiriting part is Scotland look no closer to finding the answers to beating Ireland, something they will have to do if they are to have success in the Six Nations or next year's World Cup.

Mike asked: How can the SRU justify Sean Everitt's contract extension? If they continue to lose this season do you think he will be there for the 26-27 season? From the stands on Friday surrounded by season-ticket holders no one is going to buy again until Everitt is gone, so do the SRU actually care about Edinburgh fans?

Andy answered: The decision to extend Everitt's contract came as a big surprise and nothing that has happened since would suggest it was justified.

Edinburgh just look like a soft touch at the moment. They played some good stuff in the first half against Ulster, but simply failed to emerge from the changing room for the second half.

Four wins from 12 URC matches is a dismal return and they have a mountain to climb to get into the play-offs. With a Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster looming also, it's hard to see where any sort of success will come from this season.

The Edinburgh fans are not happy and it feels like a sense of drift has been allowed to take hold of the club.

I would be amazed if Scottish Rugby got rid of Everitt at the end of the season so soon after extending his deal, but he surely has to start showing something soon to suggest he can get this team moving forward.

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Scotland's Six Nations performance was a "step forward" but not a "leap forward", insists former skipper Rory Lawson.

The 43-21 defeat by Ireland in Dublin ended the Scots' hopes of a first title since 1999 as Gregor Townsend's side finished third - their joint highest in the Six Nations era - with three wins and two losses.

Speaking on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast, Lawson said: "Three wins is a step forward - not a leap forward.

"Scotland should have played the conditions better [away to Italy in opening game]. At 12-0 down or whatever they were, in those conditions, chasing a game is so difficult. That was the difference in the end."

The 45-year-old named the 50-40 win over France at Murrayfield as the highlight of Scotland's campaign.

"That was the best Scotland performance I've seen for a long time," he added.

"They couldn't back it up in Dublin. Scotland ran out of steam and couldn't maintain the intensity and the quality and execution away from home.

"There's a lot to be proud of in the squad and a lot of credit banked in finishing in the top half of the table."

Lawson also picked out the players in Townsend's squad who impressed most.

"Kyle Steyn was phenomenal through the whole championship," he said.

"His stats were ridiculous. He doesn't make errors. He's so composed. He does so much good. And it's not even always the try-scoring stuff - it's workrate. He never gives up. He's a real leader there.

"Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey were just tremendous throughout the championship. I really thought they were good.

"Gregor Brown and Scott Cummings were missed in the final game.

"Ben White had an excellent championship, particularly in the two home games. He was really, really good.

"Against Dupont in that French game, I thought he outperformed the best scrum-half, if not the best player, in the world.

"Sione Tuipulotu stepped into that leadership role well and showed a lot of class, both in victory and defeat."

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Back-rower Macenzzie Duncan says he is delighted to sign his professional deal with Glasgow Warriors and continue to learn from "the best".

The 23-year-old former Bristol Bears prospect, who joined Glasgow's academy prior to last season, made his first-team debut a year ago and has racked up 11 appearances.

"I'm delighted to get another two years here," said Duncan.

"It's just continued two years of growth with one of the best coaches in the world, best environment in the world that I've ever been in and I'm just buzzing for the next two years.

"It's one of the best places, so much competition, so many young boys, so many world-class players, you can't really get better and learn off anyone better. Just pick their brains day in, day out."

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Former Scotland skipper Rory Lawson says "standout" Jack Dempsey's Glasgow Warriors exit is a "gut punch" for the national team.

The number eight will depart Scotstoun at the end of the season to join a club in Japan, believed to be Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.

It puts the international future of Dempsey, who turns 32 next month, in doubt because of clashes with Japan's domestic season schedule.

"It's a bitter, bitter blow for the Warriors, for Scotland," said former scrum-half Lawson on the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"Hugely disappointing, but he would have weighed all of this up within his decision-making process.

"The offers that come in from Scottish Rugby, and while it's to play for Glasgow Warriors we know it's all under Scottish Rugby, and it's the budget that's going towards these international players that keeps them in Scotland and gives the player management opportunity to Scotland.

"As soon as they move, you lose that control.

"And in this case, particularly when you're losing him to Japan with a different layout of the season, different player accessibility, that definitely throws it up in the air, his potential involvement or not in next year's Six Nations and the World Cup.

"As a player who has been a standout, it's a huge gut punch for him to have committed elsewhere."

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Scotland number eight Jack Dempsey leaving Glasgow is "the nature of the beast", according to the club's assistant coach Roddy Grant.

Glasgow have announced that Dempsey will "take up a playing contract overseas" this summer. BBC Scotland revealed on Monday that he is moving to Japan.

Since signing for Glasgow in 2021, the former Australia international has established himself as a key performer for both the Warriors and his adopted country, winning the United Rugby Championship with Glasgow in 2024.

Grant also revealed Glasgow held unsuccessful talks to keep Dempsey at Scotstoun.

"We would have obviously liked to have kept him," Grant said. "He's one of the best eights in the world at the moment.

"It's the nature of the beast, the nature of sport. Without sounding too clinical, that is the reality with different markets. We've seen it before with other players going.

"There's still a lot of rugby left this season and he'll be determined to finish well with Glasgow.

"I know there were discussions. Ultimately you do the best you can and some things are out of your control. It is what it is."

Sandy Smith
Fan writer

A carnivorous plant was discovered a few years ago. In 1872 I think it was. It attracts insects using its blue and burnt orange fauna and when they land it devours them mercilessly.

The attraction bit was Edinburgh in the first half against Ulster. The devouring, well, that was what happened to the good feeling every supporter in a frosty Hive had as the second half unravelled.

Three tries in that first half, all from backs, all worthy of acclaim and that all hinted at a much greater cohesion in that backline that hasn't always been evident.

The half-time whistle not only ended the first 40 minutes, it also ended any attack threat Edinburgh had previously displayed.

For the fourth time this season we lost a game by failing to score a single point in the second half. A stat reinforced by the fact that across the season Edinburgh have scored 20 tries in the second half whereas the opposition have scored 39.

The moment that turned the match was the box kick from Ben Vellacott on 49 minutes that was gathered by Werner Kok. Ulster went almost the length of the pitch to score and draw level. It felt like it sucked any resistance out of Edinburgh and thereafter all the momentum was with Ulster.

Our box kicking was poor throughout. Nine were kicked and only one was reclaimed. Our lineout wasn't much better.

After that 49th-minute try it was all defence from Edinburgh. It was, despite Ulster's scores, a decent defence but when your territory and possession are in the 30% range in that second half and you have to make almost twice as many tackles as your opposition then it becomes almost a fait accompli that gaps will appear.

There were strong displays from the likes of Connor Boyle and Harry Paterson, and lineout woes aside Dylan Richardson was also strong on both sides of the ball, but overall it felt a little rudderless.

The ball is all but burst for this season and it feels like we would be better to just concede these next two fixtures and use the money for the trip to South Africa to pay off Sean Everitt and bring in someone who can at least give an inspiring half-time team talk.

Sandy Smith can be found at the Burgh Watch, external

Do you have any burning questions for our rugby experts after the Six Nations finished for Scotland with a disappointing defeat by Ireland?

Send in your questions via this link and a selection will be answered by our experts and published on this page later in the week.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Irish power wins the day…again

Ireland's power game has proved too much for Scotland to handle over the past nine years and Saturday at the Aviva Stadium was just another chapter of the same story.

The Scots were knocked off their game by a ferocious Irish defence, and with Tadhg Beirne and company all over the breakdown, the quick ball Scotland thrive on was in short supply.

In that scintillating first hour against France, Scotland were so clean in their work, but they just could not get close to those levels again.

That was in large part down to a mighty Irish performance, but Scotland's error count was way too high. While many of those errors were as a result of Irish pressure, some were self-inflicted wounds, and that will sting.

Gilchrist goes down fighting

Grant Gilchrist was part of a Scotland pack that quite comprehensively came off second best in Dublin, but the old warhorse produced a fine individual display.

On the day he became Scotland's most-capped lock on his 88th appearance, Gilchrist's work rate was outstanding.

He carried time and again into the guts of the Irish defence, and even showed velvet hands to put Rory Darge in for Scotland's third try.

It was a courageous display from the veteran lock as he left it all out on the field and went down fighting.

Progress bookended with disappointment

If you offered Scotland fans before the Six Nations a third-place finish that included wins over the two tournament favourites, France and England, then many would have taken it. Just about all of them would have snapped your hand off for that scenario after the opening defeat in Rome.

In a way it's a shame last week's thrilling win over France was not the final match as there would be an strong sense of positivity around where this Scotland team is going. As Huw Jones told us after the game, the Ireland defeat "has taken the wind out our sails".

A top-half finish is a decent return and there was so much to like in those three victories over England, Wales and France. The two defeats confirmed there is still work to do for this team to get their hands on silverware.

If Scotland are to win a trophy, they will need to figure out a way to finally put one over the Irish.

Scotland fans, we asked for your opinions on the 43-21 defeat to Ireland in the final Six Nations match against Ireland. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

George: Scotland have reached their ceiling under Gregor Townsend. Yes, there have been improvements but we have conceded 80 points in two games. That is just not good enough. It's time for a change and a new voice, we won't win the key games under this management. Nine attempts is enough.

Doug: We will never beat Ireland under Townsend. We try the same every time and they have our number. One good win against France doesn't cover three mediocre away performances. If we stick with the current management we will never get to a World Cup quarter-final or finish above third. Same chat as every other Six Nations since 2021.

Nigel: Enterprising rugby in bursts yet again and no lack of heart, but old failings around basic errors and skillset still an issue. Rely on opposition mistakes and chaos to win games but discipline has improved.

Jeffrey: Yet again Scotland were dominated physically and indeed bullied by Ireland at the breakdown. They also were obsessed with picking and going near the line which was easy to defend against. The creativity on display in three of the other games was not particularly on display today.

Unfortunately, Scotland badly missed Scott Cummings and Gregor Brown who are very physical. The other issue was that every time Scotland scored and got back in the game they completely messed up the restart and eventually Ireland scored.

Ultimately Scotland lacked accuracy, cohesion and composure when it mattered. Have our much vaunted centre partnership played a poorer match together?

Brodie: Scotland supporters are now in two separate camps. One camp is the Townsend style of play that brings some great home wins and some very entertaining rugby. The second camp is made up of supporters who enjoy the entertaining games and good results, but want to see something more tangible, something that is longer lasting and can earn Scotland a Triple Crown or Six Nations trophy.

It's not that the second camp hate Townsend or think he is a bad coach. They believe that he hasn't got the right gameplan to win a tournament.

Ethan: Scotland made it too easy: poor handling, soft shoulders, and non-existent defending made it an uphill battle from the first minute.

Better than previous games against Ireland but alas the same result after nine years. It should have been closer but arguably Scotland never looked like they would nor deserved to take it. Lee Radford's worst game as defence coach but give him and Townsend the summer to build on this campaign before looking at an autumnal alternative.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hooker Ewan Ashman says Scotland failed to meet the high standards they had set in beating France as they fell to a 12th successive defeat by Ireland in Dublin.

The Scots' hopes of a first Triple Crown since 1990, and potentially a first title since 1999, were dashed in all too familiar fashion as they were overpowered by a ferociously physical Irish side, going down 43-21.

It means a third place finish in the championship for Gregor Townsend's side.

"I think we just have to look at ourselves because we didn't put our best version of ourselves out there," Ashman said.

"We've had a couple of better performances than that in the Six Nations and we didn't replicate that standard today. We just have to look at ourselves and why we made those out-of-character errors.

"It was a tough start [with defeat] in Italy, that weather and that result. The way the boys got round each other and kept the circle small and had some really good results. I was massively proud of the way that we bounced back.

"This is just the start for us. We didn't finish how we wanted to and that was disappointing. You've seen glimpses of it and we just need to keep building on this."

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Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu: "I'm gutted. We really set our sights on coming here and getting a result, but Ireland were too good today.

"[Collisions] are where it was won and lost. I'm proud of the way we stuck in it, but we can't make the errors we did.

"I think we've made progression, but we want to be where these guys are with a trophy.

"We were physically prepared, it's on us as players."

Ireland pulled away from Scotland in a pulsating Six Nations Triple Crown decider to keep their championship hopes alive and end the Scots' trophy dreams.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the match via this link

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Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend: "Hugely disappointed.

"We knew we had an opportunity to play a high level of rugby and we didn't do it enough.

"I know a huge effort went in. In such a physical match, that's great to see, but we needed to be more accurate.

"We were a bit passive in attack at times and we didn't get our spacing right in defence.

"They are a very good side and they have a good record against most teams in the world.

"Some elements of today were a really high level. We'll work out how we need to play better in other parts of the game.

"This is one of the toughest places to play in world rugby and their attack was excellent today."