Ireland set up Triple Crown shot with bonus-point win over Wales

Murray Kinsella Reports from the Aviva Stadium

Ireland 27

Wales 17

A SIX NATIONS that started with such disappointment for Ireland could end with another bit of silverware for Andy Farrell’s side.

They have set up a shot at retaining the Triple Crown next weekend in Dublin, doing enough to claim a bonus-point victory over an aggressive Wales team at the Aviva Stadium to make it three wins from four games in this championship so far.

Ireland started like a runaway train thanks to an early try from wing Jacob Stockdale but the Welsh were feral from there on, bringing lots of physicality to the party in an absorbing Six Nations battle. Steve Tandy’s men readily embraced their underdog status as they made a whopping 240 tackles.

Ireland might have some frustrations at not making this more comfortable, particularly after going 19-10 ahead early in the second half, but they were the better team and just lacked a more clinical edge in how they managed the momentum of the contest.

So this wasn’t a performance of the level Farrell’s men found last time out against England, although they arguably faced far more ferocity from the Welsh in this game.

There were some muscular displays up front for Ireland, notably from hooker Rónan Kelleher and loosehead prop Tom O’Toole, while scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park was influential on his 50th cap and inside centre Stuart McCloskey continued his fine form.

But best of all was blindside flanker Jack Conan, player of the match on his return after missing Twickenham due to illness.

Conan was among the try-scorers, with Jack Crowley and Jamie Osborne also dotting down, while out-half Crowley kicked seven points off the tee.

So it is that Ireland move onto next Saturday’s afternoon clash with Scotland with a trophy in sight. They’ll be delighted to have teed up such a potentially joyous finale to this Six Nations, but they will be determined to produce their best performance of all against the Scots.

As for Wales, they go into next weekend’s home clash with Italy hoping to finally end their wait for a Six Nations win. They brought a huge amount to this contest, including a wonderful first-half try from loosehead prop Rhys Carré.

Ireland’s superior bench meant the visitors were always likely to struggle in the closing stages but they ensured plenty of anxiety for the home fans.

A ruthless start from Ireland saw them pick up where they left off in Twickenham last time out, with an O’Toole scrum penalty win giving them a platform to produce Stockdale’s sixth-minute try.

McCloskey carried strongly twice in the build-up and then his short pass picked out Stockdale running an aggressive line right through Welsh out-half Dan Edwards on 12th phase.

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Crowley converted for 7-0 and Ireland thought they had another similar score soon after as Conan powered over, only for a TMO review to confirm that O’Toole had knocked on at the base of the ruck just before.

Wales got something on the scoreboard in the 17th minute as Edwards knocked over a handy penalty just after Louis Rees-Zammit’s 50:22 kick, then the visitors needed some immense defence to hold Ireland out.

After his men battered Irish carrier after Irish carrier, captain Dewi Lake produced a crucial turnover in his own 22, allowing the Welsh to kick clear and chase hard to earn a poach penalty through flanker James Botham.

Suddenly, Ireland were under the pump and conceding penalties near their own line but McCloskey, Caelan Doris, and James Ryan combined to hold Welsh loosehead Carré up when it looked like he might score.

Ireland had to huff and puff to finally break the Welsh resistance down the other end – which included a clever intercept by Alex Mann of a Jamison Gibson-Park pass – before they finally notched their second try with 37 minutes on the clock.

The likes of Tadhg Furlong, Conan, Rónan Kelleher, Doris, and Tadhg Beirne rolled their sleeves up to thunder at the Welsh defence, earning a penalty advantage before Crowley ran onto Gibson-Park’s pass and finished smartly outside Welsh lock Ben Carter.

The Irish out-half pulled his conversion attempt to the left of the posts, but they will feel they should have carried that 12-3 lead into the break.

Yet with 60 seconds left on the clock, Ireland kicked contestably, Robert Baloucoune knocked on, then Wales won a scrum free-kick.

Away they darted, working a favourable shortside and loosehead prop Carré swatted Baloucoune aside before showing a remarkable turn of speed to surge all the way to the tryline from more than 20 metres out, finished despite the despairing trackback effort from Baloucoune.

Edwards converted and Wales were back within two points at 12-10 for half time.

There wasn’t much room for messing around from Ireland after the interval. So they didn’t. Conan had his try within four minutes of the restart. Ireland worked their way to within touching distance of the Welsh line, Doris lifted a pass to Conan, who did well to take the ball and then surge over for a try that the TMO confirmed as good this time.

Crowley slotted the extras and Ireland had some breathing room at 19-10.

Wales had a chance to hit back swiftly but wing Josh Adams’ pass to Botham evaded the flanker a few metres from the Irish line. And the next time Wales came calling, Kelleher and O’Toole came up with a muscular choke tackle turnover on Lake.

But Ireland seemed intent on playing Barbarians rugby all of a sudden, repeatedly trying to run the ball out from deep in their own half. They nearly cut loose a couple of times, but there was a slightly wild edge to this approach.

They were playing with fire and nearly got burned. A scrum free-kick and then scrum penalty against Furlong, won by replacement Welsh loosehead Nicky Smith, gave Tandy’s men a close-range shot.

Botham was the man to muscle his way over the line for a converted try after another show of Welsh power in the tight.

With the away side back within two points, Ireland jolted back into life as replacement lock Joe McCarthy grabbed a bobbling ball near halfway and grubbered ahead for Ireland to chase with renewed energy, Edwards doing well to escape his in-goal area and clear.

That proved to be the platform for Ireland’s bonus-point score, though, with sub flanker Josh van der Flier, Crowley, and Stockdale sending Conan down the left touchline before he found Gibson-Park back inside.

The scrum-half nearly finished there but with penalty advantage playing – Tomos Williams would be binned for not rolling away – Ireland worked the ball into midfield and Stockdale calmly popped an overhead pass for Osborne to finish.

With their bench continuing to impact, Ireland neaerly scored a classy try down the right as Baloucoune and replacement fullback Ciarán Frawley combined, but they were happy to take three points through Crowley’s boot to make it a 10-point game.

Wales had one last shot in the Irish 22 but Beirne denied them with a characteristic breakdown steal.

Ireland scorers:

Tries: Jacob Stockdale, Jack Crowley, Jack Conan, Jamie Osborne

Conversions: Jack Crowley [2 from 4]

Penalty: Jack Crowley [1 from 1]

Wales scorers:

Tries: Rhys Carré, James Botham

Conversions: Dan Edwards [2 from 2]

Penalties: Dan Edwards [1 from 1]

IRELAND: Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose (Tom Farrell ’70), Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale (Ciarán Frawley ’70); Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park (blood – Nathan Doak ’24 to ’33, permanent ’75); Tom O’Toole (Michael Milne ’64), Rónan Kelleher (Tom Stewart ’64), Tadhg Furlong (Thomas Clarkson ’60); James Ryan (Joe McCarthy ’60), Tadhg Beirne; Jack Conan, Nick Timoney (Josh van der Flier ’60), Caelan Doris (captain).

WALES: Louis Rees-Zammit; Ellis Mee (Louie Hennessey ’70), Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams (yellow card ’70); Rhys Carre (Nicky Smith ’45), Dewi Lake (captain) (Ryan Elias ’57), Tomas Francis (Archie Griffin ’57); Dafydd Jenkins, Ben Carter (Adam Beard ’57); Alex Mann, James Botham, Aaron Wainwright (Olly Cracknell ’45).

Replacements not used: Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans.

Referee: Karl Dickson [RFU].