Scotland's Rugby World Cup hopes shredded by ruthless Ireland on painful night in Paris

Scotland took their leave of the Rugby World Cup amid a cacophony of Irish celebrations in Saint-Denis.

The Cranberries’ Zombie rang out around the Stade de France as Johnny Sexton led his players on a victory lap, revelling in the fact they'll be returning to the same venue next weekend to contest a quarter-final with the All Blacks. The Irish have never been beyond the last eight in the competition's 36-year history but they've never had a team like this one.

They scored six tries to win 36-14 and pulverised Scotland, just as they had in Yokohama four years previously. Their pack dominated, bullying the Scots in a dominant first-half showing which killed the game stone dead. Gregor Townsend’s side needed to win by eight clear points to go through from Pool B at Ireland’s expense but they were never at the races. The Irish had a bonus point secured by the interval through two tries from Hugo Keenan and one apiece from James Lowe and Iain Henderson. Further scores from Dan Sheehan and Garry Ringrose early in the second half extended Ireland’s advantage to 36-0 and a record score in this fixture looked on the cards. Scotland came back with converted tries from Ewan Ashman and Ali Price but they were sticking plasters applied to a gaping wound.

The Irish pack gave them the platform to play and their backs greedily lapped up the abundance of possession. The stadium was a sea of green, with Irish fans vastly outnumbering their Scottish counterparts. Lowe had said before the game that he expected 60,000 Irish supporters in the 80,000-capacity arena and he wasn’t far off. It felt like Ireland had extra men on the pitch too, such was their dominance.

The dejected look on the Scotland players' faces says it all after a comprehensive Rugby World Cup defeat by Ireland ended their hopes of progression.

For Scotland, it was an evening of agony. Thirty-four days after landing in Nice, they are going home, eliminated at the pool stage for the third time in World Cup history and the second tournament in a row.

Grand Slam great John Jeffrey, now vice-president of World Rugby, had said it was the “the best ever Scotland team to take the field”. They couldn’t live up to the billing, victims mainly of a horrendous draw made almost three years ago when the rugby landscape was very different to what it is now. By the time the World Cup kicked off, Pool B contained three of the world’s top five teams in Ireland (ranked first), South Africa (second) and Scotland (fifth). It went with form, with the Irish ending up group winners, four points ahead of the Springboks who will now play hosts France in the quarter-finals.

Scotland managed bonus-point wins over Pool B’s lesser lights, Tonga and Romania, but an opening defeat to South Africa in Marseille left them too much to do in the so-called group of death.

A third-place finish means a World Cup exit and, in truth, Scotland never looked like pulling off an upset. They went behind in the first minute as Ireland sliced Scotland open in a move that began in their own half. Ringrose was the architect, selling Grant Gilchrist a dummy then passing to Mack Hansen who popped it out to Lowe who ran in the score. It was ruthless but a little too easy from a Scottish perspective. Sexton couldn’t convert but it was a grim start for Townsend’s men.

Iain Henderson scores Ireland's third try against Scotland.

They came fighting back. Russell kicked to the corner and Scotland launched an attack off clean lineout ball. It was eventually moved left to Duhan van der Merwe who tried to cut inside but Caelan Doris got over the ball and the Scotland winger was penalised. Soon after, Scotland lost Blair Kinghorn who went off for a head injury assessment and never returned. The full-back had led Scotland on to the field on the occasion of his 50th cap but lasted only eight minutes before being replaced by Ollie Smith.

Scotland then enjoyed a little flourish, putting together 18 phases but the respite was brief and Hansen then saw the ball slapped from his grasp with the tryline at his mercy after great work from Peter O’Mahony, who was winning his 100th cap.

It was breathless. And brutal. Jamie Ritchie was next to go, the Scotland captain appearing to injure himself as he stopped Hansen. He went off clutching his side and was replaced by Matt Fagerson. Hansen followed him shortly after, Stuart McCloskey coming on in his place.

Ireland were back in control and the second try duly followed. Like the first, Ireland worked the wrap around beautifully as the ball was played out the line from a scrum. Bundee Aki took the ball into contact, the Scotland defenders were sucked in and Ringrose found Keenan in yards of space to score.

Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie was forced off early on due to injury.

Scotland were creaking and the third and fourth tries weren't long in coming. Henderson burrowed in from close quarters after good work by Jamison Gibson-Park. And then Keenan nabbed his second after Sexton found him with a looped pass. The stand-off, who’d produced a mighty conversion for the second try, also knocked over the third and fourth to put Ireland 26-0 up at half-time, the bonus point secured.

Scotland’s cause wasn’t helped by a yellow card for Smith early in the second half and the full-back only had himself to blame. He tried to trip Sexton as the stand-off kicked a grubber, sparking a mass brawl which saw Pierre Schoeman and Dan Sheehan tumble over and advertising hoarding. There was plenty needle in the match now and when Sheehan popped up on the left wing to score the fifth try some Irish players celebrated in Scottish faces. Russell, in particular, took exception. The stand-off went close in a rare Scottish attack but Ireland came right back and Ringrose got the try his performance deserved after a delightful cross-kick from Jack Crowley, on for Sexton.

The game was gone but Scotland stirred at last with two tries in a couple of minutes midway through the second half. Ashman had only been in the field for a minute when he latched on to Sione Tuipulotu’s pass to score in the corner after good work by Russell and Jack Dempsey. Then Price got in on the act, diving over as Scotland benefited from the bounce of the ball. Russell converted both to make it 36-14 but it was too little, too late.

Scorers – Ireland: Tries: Lowe, Keenan 2, Henderson, Sheehan, Ringrose. Cons: Sexton 3. Scotland: Tries: Ashman, Price. Cons: Russell 2.

Ireland: H Keenan; M Hansen (S McCloskey 21), G Ringrose, B Aki, J Lowe; J Sexton (J Crowley 45), J Gibson-Park; A Porter (D Kilcoyne 48), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 48), T Furlong (F Bealham 48), T Beirne (J Conan 48), I Henderson (J Ryan 48), P O'Mahony, J van der Flier, C Doris.

Scotland: B Kinghorn (O Smith 8); D Graham (G Horne 52), H Jones, S Tuipulotu, D van der Merwe; F Russell, A Price; P Schoeman (R Sutherland 52), G Turner (E Ashman 59), Z Fagerson (WP Nel 59), R Gray, G Gilchrist (S Cummings 45), J Ritchie (M Fagerson 19), R Darge, J Dempsey.

Referee: Nic Berry (Aus).

Attendance: 78,459.