Ireland 21 Wales 23:This will smart horribly from an Irish perspective. Not alone did they lose but it was the manner of their performance that will disappoint almost as much. Ireland were bullied physically on their own patch, the defence a passive line of acquiescence rather than a snarling, aggressive unit, looking to put the Welsh under pressure.
There were far too many flaws and Ireland were too fractured in attack; lateral for long tranches of the game. The home side rarely varied the line speed. The Welsh backs, on receipt of front foot ball were able to dominate the contact.
The way in which the visitors won will also rankle. Wayne Barnes's decision to award Wales a penalty in the 79th minute for an alleged tip tackle by Stephen Ferris looked very harsh but the Irish flanker will know he didn’t need to lift Welsh secondrow Ian Evans in the air and give the English official an option.
It was the game defining moment as Leigh Halfpenny posted the penalty. Ireland could have escaped with a victory despite a deeply flawed performance but couldn’t successfully manage the last five minutes of a contest, which they led by five points.
Consolation came in a number of individual displays but the team collective was horribly disjointed. It should be noted that Wales were down four of their first choice pack and lost their captain Sam Warburton at half-time, yet still possessed the confidence and skills to forge a victory that will give them huge satisfaction.
It is important to be accurate and tidy in the opening throes of any contest and Ireland were briefly, following Conor Murray’s brilliant box kick that forced Wales to concede a penalty. Jonathan Sexton though failed to find touch but the Irish outhalf made amends on two minutes when posting a 34 metre penalty.
Rather than settle Ireland it served to galvanise Wales. The home side were nearly undone by another quick, and on initial viewing, illegal short lineout: Welsh secondrow Bradley Davies appeared to take the ball inside the five metre corridor but he was allowed to play on and galloped into the Irish 22.
Wales launched a series at attacks during which Tommy Bowe’s one handed block down with two Welsh attackers outside might have led to a penalty and potentially a yellow card. Barnes allowed play to continue and Ireland’s line led a charmed existence – Welsh wing George North got past Heaslip and Bowe all too easily at one point – with Andrew Trimble throwing his body in the way to prevent a try in one corner and Welsh flanker Ryan Jones deemed to have been held up over the line on the other side of the pitch.
The visitors were penalised at the ensuing scrum for an early engagement by loosehead prop Rhys Gill but they were soon back to harass their hosts. This time it was Ireland who were adjudged to have infringed at a scrum, conceding a free kick.
Priestland tapped quickly and after a series of trundles had taken play to within 12 metres of the Irish line, the Welsh outhalf surged around the short side of a ruck, showed great strength to take the tackles of Bowe and Mike Ross and offload in the process. Centre Jonathan Davies crashed over in the corner despite Gordon D’Arcy’s despairing tackle. Priestland hit the post with a touchline conversion.
It was no more than Wales deserved as they were bossing the collisions, profiting from Ireland’s languid line speed in defence. Welsh scrumhalf Mike Phillips was getting plenty of front foot possession and this allied to the powerful carrying of the Welsh pack and in particular Bradley Davies, Jones and Faletau gave them both momentum and continuity.
The visitors also boasted the authoritative kicking game, cleverly putting the ball in behind Ireland and asking them to play their way out. Barnes was allowing the ball carrier plenty of latitude time-wise in releasing the ball and there were several occasions when it looked like a penalty should have been awarded.
Ireland were a little predictable in attack and also undermined their own patterns by having ball carriers isolated; this led to a few unnecessary turnovers. Gradually though the home side realised that Wales were content to fan out, leaving them thinner on the fringes of rucks and mauls.
Ireland should have fallen further behind but Priestland missed a dolly, 22 metres out in front of the posts. Unfortunately for the home supporters Sexton was similarly unsuccessful, albeit with a more difficult chance as he watched his effort drift wide.
Ireland’s direct approach though was to reap a tangible reward three minutes before the interval. Trimble and McFadden especially found and exploited space on the fringes and when the ball was swept to the short side from a ruck just outside the Welsh 22, Bowe stepped inside one defender and in the one movement threw a sumptuous pass to the supporting Rory Best to cross unopposed.
Sexton kicked a fine conversion and within three minutes of the restart added a penalty. Heaslip forced the turnover of possession that led to a scrum. Wales transgressed and Sexton punished them to push Ireland into a 13-5 lead.
The visitors lost captain Sam Warburton and wing Jack Cuthbert to injury, neither returning after the interval, and they were replaced by Jason Tipuric and James Hook. Ireland though were still guilty of some careless use of possession; poor kicking and flawed option taking. Priestland miscued another penalty attempt, this time from 32 metres but the Welsh were soon back on the attack as Ireland conceded another turnover at ruck time.
Sean O’Brien was penalised at a ruck – it didn’t look massively different from what was acceptable prior to that – and the Halfpenny took over the kicking duties; unerring from 38 metres to reduce the deficit to 13-8.
The home side were making too many small errors, relying on individuals rather than collective cohesion and their defensive line speed was still not aggressive enough. There were made to pay emphatically on 54 minutes. Bowe fumbled a long kick into touch and from the ensuing lineout Welsh wing North ran over McFadden and linked with Davies who straightened and accelerated to grab his second try. Halfpenny converted as Wales sneaked ahead 15-13.
Ireland might have responded immediately with probably their best sustained passage of play but captain Paul O’Connell couldn't quite take the tackle and get his hands free in the Welsh 22 with numbers outside, and although the initial momentum was thwarted, the home side remained patient and were eventually rewarded when Wales transgressed at a ruck and Sexton kicked the penalty.
Welsh secondrow Davies should have been sent off for picking up Irish replacement Donnacha Ryan and turning him over to land on his head. It was a straight red card and even though it happened right in front of touch judge Dave Pearson he told referee Barnes to award yellow. It was a ludicrous judgement based on the laws.
Wales were reduced to 14 men and it was apposite that Ryan should have a pivotal influence on a game defining moment. He nicked a Welsh throw inside the visiting 22 and despite coming up short several times close to the Welsh line, the ball was eventually released to Sexton. He threw a long pass to Kearney, who was equally accurate in delivering the ball to Bowe and the Irish wing scampered over the in the corner.
Sexton could not convert but Ireland, despite their erratic performance, should have been able to close out the match. Wales certainly hadn’t read that script and to their credit they mustered their depleted resources.
Once again Ireland were guilty of passive line speed in defence again it proved catastrophic for the home side as three defenders awaited the arrival of a charging North and could not prevent the six-foot-four inch wing from muscling his way over for a try. Halfpenny missed the touchline conversion but he would have one final opportunity.
Ferris was adjudged guilty of picking up Ian Evans in a tackle and dumping him. It looked harsh but the Irish flanker gave Barnes the option of punishing him. The English official awarded the penalty and fished in his pocket for a yellow card to boot. Halfpenny kept his composure admirably to deliver the winning blow, a 33 metre penalty.
It was a horrible way to lose for Ireland but on the day the visitors had more of a cutting edge and deserved their win; but not the manner of it.
Scoring sequence
2 mins:Sexton penalty, 3-0; 13: J Davies try, 3-5; 37: Best try, Sexton conversion, 10-5. Half-time: 10-5. 43: Sexton penalty, 13-5; 53: Halfpenny penalty, 13-8; 55: J Davies try, Halfpenny conversion, 13-15; 59: Sexton penalty, 16-15; 68: Bowe try, 21-15; 76: North try, 21-20; 79: Halfpenny penalty, 21-23.
Ireland: R Kearney; T Bowe, F McFadden, G D'Arcy, A Trimble; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt); S Ferris, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: D Ryan for O'Callaghan 62 mins; T Court for Healy 73 mins; E Reddan for Murray 76 mins; R O'Gara for Sexton 76 mins.
Wales: L Halfpenny; A Cuthbert, J Davies, J Roberts, G North; R Priestland, M Phillips; R Gill, H Bennett, A Jones; B Davies, I Evans; R Jones, S Warburton (capt), T Faletau. Replacements: J Tipuric for Warburton half-time; J Hook for Cuthbert half-time; P James for A Jones 70 mins.
Referee: W Barnes (England)
Yellow card:Bradley Davies (Wales); Stephen Ferris (Ireland) 78 mins.
