Ireland's Jonathan Sexton, right celebrates with Ireland's Andrew Conway, left and try scorer Ireland's Garry Ringrose, after Ringrose scores a try. Photo / AP
Ireland's Jonathan Sexton, right celebrates with Ireland's Andrew Conway, left and try scorer Ireland's Garry Ringrose, after Ringrose scores a try. Photo / AP
Ireland confirmed its Six Nations title credentials by blowing away defending champion Wales 29-7 at a full Lansdowne Road this morning (NZT).
Those credentials are expected to receive their sternest test of the championship next Saturday in Paris, where the Irish meet France, the last team to beat them a year ago.
"It's going to be a hell of a test," Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton said.
The Irish slayers of the All Blacks in the autumn hit the ground running with a Bundee Aki try in the third minute, and had the bonus-point fourth try after an hour.
Despite light rain, Ireland's speed and efficiency at rucks overwhelmed Wales and the passing and catching was sublime.
Equally impressive was the discipline; Ireland didn't concede a penalty until the second half.
There's huge optimism around Ireland for its first title since 2018. Momentum and confidence borne from eight test wins in a row and all four Irish provinces reaching the European club playoffs overpowered an undermanned Wales.
Eight senior Wales players are out injured, including captain Alun Wyn Jones, and the second string couldn't breach a waterproof Ireland defense. It took an Irish error in the 75th minute for Wales to get on the board. Tadhg Beirne passed off the floor mistakenly to flanker Taine Basham to scoot to the nearby posts for a converted try.
"Strangled us, physically dominated us," Wales captain Dan Biggar said of Ireland. "It became too difficult for us to get on the front foot. We need to find a bit more of an edge."
Ireland's Jonathan Sexton, right celebrates with Ireland's Andrew Conway, left and try scorer Ireland's Garry Ringrose, after Ringrose scores a try. Photo / AP
Ireland made a dream start. Mack Hansen, arrived from Australia in the summer and making his Ireland debut, received a tipped pass and hared 50 meters down the left touchline. Ireland forwards used lineout ball to pound the Welsh and shorten the defense, which Sexton noticed.
He and Hansen gave Aki a huge overlap to score untouched in the left corner.Sexton converted but then missed consecutive penalties into a swirling breeze as Ireland came at Wales in waves.As the pressure mounted, Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit had to scramble back twice to defuse Irish kicks to the in-goal.Sexton finally slotted a penalty for 10-0 after a one-sided first quarter.
When Wales eventually touched the ball, it got moving. Twice, Wales reached the Irish 22 only to be repulsed: Hooker Ryan Elias was held up in a tackle by Beirne, and prop Wyn Jones was covered up in a ruck by Jack Conan.
But at halftime, Ireland would have felt short of points and Wales satisfied to be in touch on the scoreboard.The Irish kept to their processes, however, and four minutes later winger Andrew Conway was in. Taking a Sexton pass, Conway came in and dropped to a knee. Wales backs Johnny McNicholl, Josh Adams and Liam Williams all hesitated, and Conway used that to get up and somehow beat them to the right corner flag.
Sexton, reading the breeze, curved in the sideline conversion for 17-0.Any pretense Wales had of a comeback to a first competitive win in Dublin in a decade ended in the 51st minute when Adams was sin-binned for leading his shoulder into Sexton's chest off the ball.Ireland was clinical with the man advantage in scoring two more tries.
Sexton and the busy Hansen freed Conway for the first and, galling for Adams, his opposite Garry Ringrose got the second. Prop Andrew Porter earned a turnover, and Hansen and Aki countered to release Ringrose, who blew past Liam Williams to score.Sexton didn't convert but his job was satisfyingly done with a quarter to go.
