WALES STEP UP AGAIN BUT IRISH PROVE JUST TOO STRONG
WALES remain winless in this year’s Six Nations after falling to a 31-7 defeat to Ireland in Dublin.
Warren Gatland’s side fought hard, putting in a tremendous defensive performance but they couldn’t contain the raw power of the Grand Slam champions.
Wales have two games remaining in the Championship against France and Italy, respectively, to avoid finishing with the Wooden Spoon.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in Dublin with many players in red standing up to be counted.
GETTING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE REFEREE
THE visitors’ discipline had been impressive over the first two rounds but it wasn’t great in Dublin as they conceded 12 penalties, and got on the wrong side of the referee Andrea Piardi.
Wales can feel a little hard done by, with captain Dafydd Jenkins asking
Piardi at one stage whether he was going to referee both sides the same.
In Test rugby you get away with what you can but Ireland were clearing out in front of the rucks, sealing off constantly, while the lineout catcher was often protected by the lifter.
When Wales did exactly the same thing they were penalised but that’s the way it sometimes goes.
Wales’ scrum had been a positive in the first two rounds of the Championship but it was a different story in Dublin.
Ireland loosehead Andrew Porter was rarely legal at scrum time, driving across rather than straight on, but this was ignored by Piardi, and Wales suffered as a result.
It was a real tough afternoon for Keiron Assiratti who who went backwards at a rate of knots at times after Ireland had painted a picture of dominance.
There were always going to be bumps along the way, every tighthead suffers a few hidings before finding their feet.
HUGE CHARACTER AND A STRONG DEFENSIVE EFFORT EFFORT
ONE area of Wales’ game which has improved drastically since a calamitous first-half against Scotland is the defence.
Ireland threw the kitchen sink at Wales but the visitors rarely missed anything in defence, and Mike Forshaw deserves a huge amount of credit here.
Ireland enjoyed the lions share of possession and territory but they were made to work for all their points. Wales’ line speed along with some smart defensive reads forced Ireland to overplay at times.
It would have been very easy for Wales to throw the towel in at 17-0 down at the interval but Gatland’s side rolled up their sleeves, and had a real go during the second-half.
Defensively the Wales pack were immense with Tommy Reffell putting in a whopping 20 tackles, while Dafydd Jenkins made 17.
There is clearly a very strong culture and togetherness in this Wales squad which is a good sign moving forward.
It may sound strange to credit the defence after conceding 31 points, but things could have been a lot worse for Wales who tackled themselves to a standstill.
GREEN SHOOTS OF RECOVERY
THERE are some green shoots of recovery for Wales with a number of players who only recently made their Test debuts standing up to be counted in Dublin.
Jenkins is really growing into his role as captain, while he is really imposing himself around the park, and is a player to be reckoned with.
Cameron Winnett has been steadily getting better since making his debut against Scotland, but he really excelled at the Aviva Stadium.
The 21-year-old just doesn’t make
any mistakes while his positional play has shades of Leigh Halfpenny, and he is also as safe as houses under the high ball.
What sets Winnett apart is the time he has on the ball, with the Cardiff man rarely taking the wrong options while he also has the ability to beat defenders with his footwork.
Young outside-half Sam Costelow remains a work in progress but the positives outweighed the negatives.
Wales have found some long-term solutions to replace stalwarts like Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Biggar, and Alun Wyn Jones.
There will be bumps along the way but there are signs Wales could develop into a decent Test side over the next few seasons.
WAINWRIGHT THE LION IN WAITING
AARON Wainwright has taken his game to a new level over the past month.
The Dragons man had shown flashes of brilliance up to this point but perhaps he wasn’t quite significant enough.
But Wainwright has stepped into the large shoes of Taulupe Faletau with aplomb, and has been among the best back-rowers in the entire Six Nations.
The 26-year-old stood up to be counted in Dublin and was one of the only Wales forwards who consistently got over the gain-line.
He was also Wales’ main source of lineout ball while he is one of those players who has the perfect blend of athleticism, and physicality.
If he stays injury free one would expect him to get even better over the next year or so, and he is clearly a leading contender to tour Australia with the British & Irish Lions next summer.
WALES FAIL TO NAIL KEY MOMENTS AND LACK A CUTTING EDGE
WALES created a fair few opportunities and succeeded in putting Ireland under pressure, but Gatland’s men failed to nail those key moments.
The visitors laid siege to the Ireland try line while the influential Tadhg Beirne was in the sin bin but failed to come away with any points.
If Wales had managed to force their way over the line at this stage they would have potentially closed the gap to a mere three points, and momentum would have been on their side.
But they failed to do so, and consequently Ireland were let off the hook.
Wales are creating opportunities but aren’t finishing them, whether that’s through taking the wrong option or forcing things too much.
The two main differences between the sides were how clinical Ireland were whenever they put Wales under pressure, and the sheer amount of explosive ball carriers the men in green have in their ranks.
Wales huffed and puffed but struggled to get over the gain-line as was evident towards the end of the match when Wainwright got held up over the line. If Wales had been more clinical, this game would have been a lot closer on the scoreboard.
Test match rugby is unforgiving and if you don’t take your chances it costs you. This is something Wales must improve before facing France.