DRAMATIC START TO CAMPAIGN AS WALES GRAB WIN
SO, Wales have kicked off their Six Nations campaign with a nail-biting 21-16 victory over Ireland at the Principality Stadium. It was a game where they were up against 14 men for some 65 minutes following a red card for flanker Peter O’Mahony.
Despite this, they made hard work of it, trailing midway through the second half, as lineout issues continued to plague them and a defensive lapse saw them concede a try.
But, in the end, they got their noses in front and just about held on for the win amid a dramatic conclusion. Here’s the story of how it happened.
FANTASTIC FINISHES
With Wales trailing 13-6 midway through the third quarter, things were looking pretty grim for Wayne Pivac’s men.
But then came two class finishes that changed the whole dynamic of the game.
The first was delivered by George North on 49 minutes.
There had been a lot of talk prematch about his selection at outside centre, but with his score he showed exactly what a threat he can pose in that channel.
He had done well initially following an Irish spillage, stepping inside and then out to go between Cian Healy and Ian Henderson and make ground.
Then, a few seconds later, he received a lovely one-handed pass out of the side door from Josh Navidi, looked up and saw it was on.
Spotting lock Henderson exposed in the back line, he went outside the big Ulsterman and then threw a dummy to Leigh Halfpenny as he cut inside James Lowe to reach the line.
It was his 44th Test try and another beauty to add to his collection.
Then, on 58 minutes, it was the turn of a rising young star to follow the lead set by the seasoned predator.
Off a Welsh attacking lineout take by Adam Beard, first Dan Biggar and then veteran forwards Ken Owens and Alun Wyn Jones carried up in midfield to suck in an already-depleted defence. That was the moment to go wide. When Gareth Davies spun the ball right, it was first down to nice hands from North and Leigh Halfpenny, with the full-back producing a lovely flick pass.
Then it was all about the finish from Louis Rees-Zammit.
We know what he can do when he gets a sniff of the line from his exploits with Gloucester and now he has transferred that to the international stage.
Taking the pass from Halfpenny, he scorched towards the line and dived in acrobatically at the corner, riding the tackle of prop Tadhg Furlong to get the ball down one-answer handed while in mid-air.
It was a superb piece of work from the young man who has just turned 20.
He is here and he’s here to stay.
THE RED CARD
It’s not a term I’ve heard in rugby before, but it’s firmly part of the vocabulary now – the chicken-wing action.
That was how referee Wayne Barnes described the foul play from Peter O’Mahony that saw him become first Irishman ever to be sent off in the Six Nations era.
The incident happened after 14 minutes when Tomas Francis brought Josh van der Flier to ground and ended up on the Irish side of the ball.
First Johnny Sexton looked to shift him and then in came O’Mahony.
Following the contact, Francis immediately complained to Barnes, but the English official responded by saying: “It’s a clear-out, there’s nothing wrong. Totally unavoidable.”
But when play stopped, TMO Tom Foley suggested Barnes should have a look at the replay and once he did there was only going to be one outcome.
It clearly showed O’Mahony’s left arm, just above the elbow, had connected with Francis’ head.
As Barnes talked through the footage, he swiftly came to a very different conclusion to his initial reaction.
“His left arm isn’t in a clearing action,” he says.
“It’s tucked, almost like a chickenwing action and it’s hit him in the head.
“It’s definitely foul play. He’s come from a distance at high speed and hits him in the head. He’s not in control, it’s high danger, so the is sanction, red card.”
As he gave flanker O’Mahony his marching orders, his message was clear.
“It’s to the head mate, it’s to the head.”
It was also an illustration of just how the video review system should work.
It delivered the correct outcome.
DAN-LESS DEFENCE
Initially, the Welsh defence went well and much of that was down to Dan Lydiate.
Recalled to play the big-hitter role, he fulfilled his duties to a tee.
He set the tone after just 23 seconds when he delivered a trademark low tackle to cut CJ Stander down.
There were to be no fewer than six hits from him in the first 10 minutes.
He was doing the job he had been brought in to do, knocking down the big Irish carriers.
But then, with just 12 minutes on the clock, his game was over.
He had tried to soldier on after his knee buckled off the ball, but he had to admit defeat.
With him gone, Ireland started to build momentum, go forward and get their phases going.
There were 12 phases in one sequence, 11 in another and then no fewer than 19 just past the half-hour mark.
Despite now being down to 14 men, they managed to retain possession and make ground.
Eventually, their pressure told as the Welsh defence cracked.
Off a lineout steal, there were strong carries from van der Flier and Tadhg Beirne to get over the gainline and then came the key incision from Robbie Henshaw.
Cutting back against the grain, the centre broke the tackles of Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau before offloading to van der Flier.
The openside was hauled down just inches short, but Beirne was on hand to pick up and dive over.
It was a bad try for Wales to concede from a defensive point of view and it left them 13-6 down at the break.
LINEOUT LAMENT
The lineout was Wales’ main Achilles heel in the autumn.
They lost now fewer than 19 balls
on their own throw during the six games.
When you are struggling like that, the last thing you need is to come up against a side coached by Paul O’Connell, one of the great lineout exponents of his day.
Former Lions captain O’Connell would have been rubbing his hands at the prospect of targeting Wales in that area and his charges did him proud.
Despite having Ken Owens back at hooker, the problems of the autumn continued for the home side.
Owens’ first throw after eight minutes was aimed for Tipuric, but up rose James Ryan to flick it back one-handed.
It was the same story on the quarter-hour mark, with Ryan getting up again to steal a ball directed towards Adam Beard.
Then, four minutes before the break came the really costly loss on a Welsh throw as the Irish pinched possession once more to launch an attack that culminated in Beirne touching down.
In all, there were four balls lost on the Welsh throw. The malaise continues.
SOLID SCRUM
This was another set-piece that creaked in the autumn, but it was solid this time around, first against eight men and then seven, with props Wyn Jones and Tomas Francis providing the welcome platform.
Loosehead Jones also had a big game around the field, with his carrying, tackling and work over the ball. It’s not often a prop is named man of the match, but the Scarlets front-rower was the player chosen by Jonathan Davies.
‘Sausage’ will be a happy man tonight.