Dragons keep green swarm out in thriller
RESILIENT Wales withstood a second-half battering to blow the Six Nations wide open and end holders Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes with a perfect victory in Cardiff yesterday.
After an opening home defeat by England, Wales have hit back with three successive wins and by defeating previously undefeated Ireland they have a shot at the title heading into the final round next week.
Despite losing both props to injury in the first half, Wales wobbled but did not wilt in the face of fierce Irish pressure and even a late penalty try which set up a grandstand finale proved insufficient.
“An absolutely unbelievable effort,” Sam Warburton, captaining Wales for a record 34th time, told the BBC.
“I couldn’t have asked for any more. They just kept coming and coming at us. We had to keep our discipline.”
A measure of Welsh resistance came in the match stats. Wales made 289 tackles, with Luke Charteris an eye-popping 37, compared to just 104 by Ireland. Joe Schmidt’s side enjoyed 64% possession and made 461 metres against 195 by Wales, who forced a key seven turnovers.
Ireland’s first loss for more than a year ended a run of 10 successive wins and they will reflect on a hesitant start.
Leigh Halfpenny took full advantage of early Irish indiscretions with four penalties inside 13 minutes.
His boot ultimately proved the difference on the scoreboard but it was heroic defence in the second half that carried the Welsh dragons home as Ireland charged time and time again.
Ireland, with flyhalf Johnny Sexton a peripheral figure in the opening 40, fluffing one penalty and on another occasion kicking straight into touch to ironic cheers, laid siege to the Welsh line in the opening 20 minutes after the break.
Wales looked to have repelled all Ireland could throw at them when replacement centre Scott Williams burst through for the opening try to put Wales 11 points up with 19 minutes left.
But Ireland, with captain Paul O’Connell winning his 100th test cap, hit back with a converted penalty try before Halfpenny’s fifth penalty took Wales seven clear.
England put themselves back in the mix for the Six Nations title last night when they beat Scotland 25-13 to join Ireland and Wales on six points and set up a mouth-watering finale next week — but they may come to rue a host of missed try-scoring chances.
After Wales had beaten Ireland in Cardiff earlier, England knew a big win would put them in pole position on points difference.
But they made hard work of it, having somehow trailed 13-10 at half time despite largely dominating.
However, second-half tries by George Ford and Jack Nowell, added to Jonathan Joseph’s score after five minutes, did just enough to secure a narrow victory but with precious little for the Twickenham crowd to get excited about.
England, with a points difference of plus 37, complete their campaign at home to France in the final match of next week’s “Super Saturday” finalé.
By then, they will know what they need to achieve in terms of a points victory to take the title after Wales (plus 12) have played Italy in Rome and Ireland (plus 33) have faced Scotland in Edinburgh.