Zürcher Nachrichten - History offers Scots hope of ending losing run to Irish

Indeed the Scots' last win in Dublin pre-dates the return to a renovated Lansdowne Road -- it was in 2010 at Croke Park.

However, Gregor Townsend's side can take heart -- AFP Sport picks out three examples of runs without a win against the same opponent coming to an end:

Gerulaitis masters Connors at last

Flamboyant American tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis's achievements -- -- he won a solitary Grand Slam singles title -- perhaps never equalled his natural talent because he enjoyed life off the court a tad too much.

Nevertheless he rose to number three in the world at a time when Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors dominated the men's game.

He lost to Borg in the 1980 French Open final but it was Connors who was a real thorn in the 'Lithuanian Lion's' side, and they entered the Masters tournament in 1980 with Connors having won their last 16 matches.

The duo could not have been more different -- Gerulaitis's long flowing blond hair giving him a rock star look, Connors the clean-cut all-American topped by an unfashionable pudding bowl hairstyle.

Gerulaitis took to Madison Square Garden with aplomb and beat Connors 7-5, 6-2.

Asked at the post-match press conference how had he managed to end the losing run, Gerulaitis fixed the journalist with one of his beady-eyed stares.

"Let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row," he said.

Ngeny denies El Guerrouj Sydney redemption

The stage was set at the 1500 metres final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics for Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj to put right the bitter memories of Atlanta in 1996.

He had fallen at the bell and finished last but had picked himself up from that hammer blow and lost just one race in the intervening years.

Kenya's 21-year-old Noah Ngeny was considered a rising talent but had always played second fiddle to El Guerrouj.

He finished second when El Guerrouj broke the mile world record and was runner-up behind the Moroccan in the 1999 world championships.

The script appeared to be going to plan as El Guerrouj took the lead before the bell in Sydney.

However, to El Guerrouj's horror Ngeny crept past him halfway down the finishing straight and breasted the line in 3min 32.07sec, breaking Sebastian Coe's 16-year-old Olympic record.

An inconsolable El Guerrouj sank to the track, as Ngeny celebrated having beaten his rival for the first time and when it mattered most.

Four years later in Athens El Guerrouj got a third chance -- Ngeny was absent after a car crash effectively ended his career -- and this time he took it.

He was to emulate Paavo Nurmi in adding 5,000m gold a few days later.

"In Sydney I was crying like a baby," he said. "Now I am as happy as a child."

Spurs spike Arsenal's guns

Tottenham Hotspur have long lived in the shadow of their north London rivals Arsenal, no more so than when Arsene Wenger was in charge of the Gunners.

By the time they met in the second leg of the 2008 League Cup semi-finals -- with the tie all square at 1-1 -- Spurs had failed to beat their rivals in 21 matches, dating back to November 1999.

However, a Spurs side boasting the talent of Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon lit up White Hart Lane as they tore apart an Arsenal side featuring several youngsters.

The hosts ran out 5-1 winners -- 6-2 on aggregate -- to reach the final and went on to lift the trophy.

"It's tremendously satisfying," said then Spurs manager Juande Ramos.

"More so because they are a direct rival from the same city and, add to that the fact that we hadn't beaten them for so long.

"Add to that the scoreline. It's all the more satisfying."

L.Rossi--NZN