Ireland 27 – 12 Wales
Ireland showed their ruthless streak to condemn Wales to their first defeat at Croke Park in the RBS 6 Nations.
Wales went to Dublin having won the only previous encounter at the Dublin citedel but the men in green took every opportunity to come their way to keep their championship hopes alive while Wales went away ruing a number of basic mistakes.
While Declan Kidney’s grabbed their opportunities whenever they presented themselves Wales fluffed their lines to be cruelly exposed by the clinical Irish.
David Wallace skinned Martyn Williams to set up first attack in the third minute. The Welsh backs were then caught off side but Jonathan Sexton pulled his shot at goal wide.
Wales then patiently worked their way deep into Irish territory to set up an easy opportunity for Stephen Jones in the 10th minute after the Irish offended at a ruck.
Jones had a chance to double the lead three minutes later but his shot sailed wide of the posts. Sexton levelled matters in the 19th minute with a well struck penalty as the arm wrestle continued at the breakdown.
The Welsh lineout was misfiring and after Ireland pick pocketed another throw in Sexton put Ireland into the lead after Tommy Bowe set up the opportunity with a stunning break.
In the 25th minute Wales were reduced to 14 men when Lee Byrne was yellow carded for killing the ball. Ireland made them pay when they surged downfield to stretch the Welsh defence. With Wales creaking, a quick tap penalty saw Keith Earls pounce. Sexton’s conversion hit the posts to limit the damage to just five points for Wales.
Tomas O’Leary then delivered a sucker punch when he sped clear from 22m out after inspirational skipper Paul O’Connell offloaded to the alert scrum half . O’Leary used his winger’s pace to score out wide to put Ireland in command at 16-3.
With three minutes remaining of the first half Jones reduced the arrears with a penalty after a brief Welsh sortie into Ireland territory.
Wales went for the jugular early on in the second half. A series of scrums five metres out from the Irish line at the men in green under immense pressure. But just when it looked like Wales had Ireland under the kosh, the ball broke free and Ireland cleared the danger.
Sexton then found his range to punish Wales further after Byrne was penalised for throwing the ball away to give Ireland a 19-6 lead after 52mins. Jones hit back almost immediately after Brian O’Driscoll was penalised under his own posts.
Ireland struck again through Earls after O’Leary exploded from a lineout to figure in a lightening back move twice. O’Leary sliced through the Welsh defence to send Earls clear who used his speed and strength to shrug off the challenge of both Shane Williams and Leigh Halfpenny to score out wide.
Jones clawed back three points via Jones trusty boot before Sexton put his hellish day with the boot behind him when hitting a drop goal sweetly three minutes from full time to put Ireland 15 points clear.
