Following a convincing 31-7 victory over Wales at the Aviva Stadium, Ireland will embark on a two-week journey to Twickenham to clinch their Grand Slam, but Andy Farrell’s team was served a harsh warning that this will not be a coronation. Rugby fans worldwide are called to book Six Nations 2024 tickets from our online platform ticketing. co. Rugby fans can book Ireland Six Nations Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
Undoubted victory
Their 11th straight Six Nations victory was never in doubt, even though they faced a resilient but severely limited Welsh team. However, they were forced to wait until the very last play of the game to clinch a bonus-point try due to an unusually careless attacking performance.
With just over half an hour remaining, Ireland’s chances of defeating Warren Gatland’s team appeared to be improving thanks to first-half tries from Dan Sheehan and James Lowe, which put the home team ahead 17–0. With 70% of the ball and 62% of the territory in the first 40 minutes, Ireland was in total control of the game.
Wales gave up nine penalties during that time, which was equal to the entire number of penalties they had given up in the first two games combined. However, Ireland stagnated in the third quarter as opposed to mercilessly advancing in the second half. Tadhg Beirne was sent to the sin bin, and their composure collapsed as they gave away an early penalty try.
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Wales was never able to punish Ireland for their lack of discipline, and in the closing 20 minutes. The hosts took control of the game. Before Beirne’s goal on the last play of the game guaranteed they would win all the points. Ciarán Frawley, who was outstanding in his maiden start at full-back, dove over to extend the lead. Robbie Henshaw had the best of the early opportunities after Gibson-Park found him on the touchline with a skip ball.
However, the center’s chip down the touchline was too far. Ireland dominated possession in the first few minutes of play. Following poaching by Bundee Aki and Andrew Porter. The sole Welsh incursions into Irish territory resulted in a penalty to the home team at the breakdown. A penalty from a little inside 40 meters was converted by Crowley to put Ireland ahead 3-0 on either side of those.
Andrea Piardi’s flag
A 73% territory in the first quarter demonstrated that Ireland was the owner. They were failing to register on the scoreboard, though. Despite only giving up nine penalties in their opening two games. Referee Andrea Piardi’s flag was raised six times in less than twenty minutes against Wales. Ireland finally forced them to pay on the quarter hour.
When they returned to the corner the next time, the outcome was different. Before the pack made a break, Sheehan found Tadhg Beirne at the front of the lineout. He touched down for his fourth try of the tournament. Sheehan had earlier witnessed a surging maul get caught up in traffic and turned over by the Welsh. Ireland was now well warmed up, leading 10-0 after Crowley’s conversion.
The Welsh indifference persisted, and Ireland retreated into the corner when they were punished for the eighth time. Instead of motoring, the maul entered their multi-phase game. With a looping pass from Gibson-Park to Nash, they moved from one touchline to the other. After 11 phases in the 22, they resumed play on the near side, where Nash used his fast hands to get the ball out to Lowe. He touched down without any opposition.
Even that score didn’t adequately reflect the distance between the two teams, as Crowley converted to make it 17-0. After taking thirty-four minutes to gain their first foothold in the Irish 22. The visitors’ advantage was short-lived as they conceded their ninth penalty of the game. Allowing Ireland to take a deserved lead into the interval.
The Second half of the encounter
When the second half began, it was Ireland’s time to become undisciplined. Piardi gave the visitors a penalty try to close the score to 17–7 and send the Ireland second row to the sin bin for ten minutes after two swift penalties in midfield allowed Wales to attack the corner. Beirne was guilty of altering his binding from the ensuing maul.
Soon after, everything returned to normal as Ireland controlled more area and more possessions than Wales could demand. But not with the same harshness. The sides exchanged phases over a draining six-minute ball-in-play period. With Frawley being the only Irish player to test the Welsh defense with a pair of shrewd cross-field kicks.
Lowe received a penalty at the end of that session for a high tackle, and on 53 minutes, they again infringed. This time for offside, which gave Wales a kick down into the corner right before Beirne’s sin-bin period finished. By flipping the Welsh maul over, the Munster man atoned for his error. After a tedious and mistake-filled third quarter, Farrell resorted to his replacements, and they ignited the game.
Rónan Kelleher’s jackal penalty
Before the hooker breached the Welsh defense line in midfield to put Ireland on the offensive, Rónan Kelleher awarded a jackal penalty in his own 22 to relieve pressure. After Bundee Aki powered under the posts for a third try in minute fifty-nine, the hosts felt they had the game won, but a Henshaw knock-on during the build-up saw the try ruled off, leaving the score at 17–7.
However, the third attempt didn’t take long to come about. When Wales was penalized for hands on the ground on minute sixty-five, they gave Ireland a chance to recover. Although they did a good job of stopping the Irish maul, strong carries from Jack Conan and Aki straightened the defense inside, and Gibson-Park then darted a pass to Frawley, who dove over for a well-earned try.
Crowley’s conversion
After Crowley’s conversion put the score at 24-7. Ireland had 13 minutes to try and score a bonus point. As they advanced down the field in an attempt to close things off favorably, Wales came dangerously close to landing the winning punch. Five minutes to go, James Ryan received Ireland’s second yellow card of the game.
Nevertheless, a strong defensive effort kept Wales at bay and the home team had the last say when Beirne crossed the line while the clock was in red. Crowley then completed an impeccable kicking performance to secure a 24-point victory.
Ireland’s lineup is as follows: Ciarán Frawley; Calvin Nash, Robbie Henshaw, Tadhg Beirne. Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park. Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Peter O’Mahony (captain), Jack Crowley, Caelan Doris
Replacements: Ross Kelleher, Cian Healy, Oli Jager, James Ryan, Ryan Baird. Jack Conan, Conor Murray and Stuart McCloskey are the replacements.
Wales’s players: Josh Adams, Tomos Williams, Gareth Thomas, Dafydd Jenkins, George North, Nick Tompkins, Rio Dyer, Sam Costelow, Keiron Assiratti, Elliot Dee, Alex Mann, Tommy Reffell, Adam Beard, and Aaron Wainwright.
In place of: Will Rowlands, Mason Grady, Kieran Hardy, Corey Domachowski, Ioan Lloyd, Ryan Elias, Dillon Lewis, and Mackenzie Martin.
Official: Andrea Piardi, the referee (FIR)
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