Ireland set for tilt at Triple Crown

Ireland 31 Wales 5

Ireland got through difficult minutes early in the game to set themselves a reasonable target of a Triple Crown and title challenge with a clinical second-half performance at Lansdowne Road yesterday.

There will be those who will point to internal strife within Welsh rugby and to the injury crisis in the principality, but the Irish camp won’t give a hoot about that.

There won’t be much sympathy either that the Welsh choir lost its conductor, Stephen Jones, after 19 minutes or that Gavin Henson’s return to the international stage was littered with mistakes. Poor old Henson was given a torrid reception and went on to have a nightmare.

Welsh coach Scott Johnson played down the issue, saying: “I don’t think it made any real difference. We have no excuses - we were beaten by a better side.”

Irish counterpart Eddie O’Sullivan insisted the same: “I think we would have won anyway.”

Yet, there is no doubt that the loss of Jones was a crucial factor. From the start, with the crowd jeering and whistling every time Henson got possession, the stand-in out-half committed a series of errors. He was no threat and misdirected so many kicks that Geordan Murphy played entirely within the comfort zone.

Ireland’s defence was magnificent. After some hairy moments early on, the tackles went in strongly and Wales, seeking to play it wide, ran into the proverbial brick wall.

Johnson conceded, and O’Sullivan gloated, that this was probably the most crucial factor in the equation.

“We lost because we weren’t allowed any room out wide,” said Johnson, with O’Sullivan adding: “we never gave them opportunities in that last 60 [minutes]. Our defence was magnificent, we were direct and we cut down on their opportunities.”

O’Sullivan noted too that his players were clever and ruthless in their application of the game plan. “We knew Wales had potential to play a certain type of game and it was important that we stop them from doing what they do best.”

But O’Sullivan must know too that the Irish pack significantly helped to seal the deal. After 15 frustrating minutes, when all Ireland could do was defend, the pack responded to the challenge.

The line-out functioned well, with Flannery’s accuracy helping Donncha O’Callaghan, Malcolm O’Kelly and occasionally Simon Easterby, secure much needed possession. The scrum hardly creaked and there were some powerful surges from David Wallace and Denis Leamy.

Peter Stringer had one of his finest games for Ireland, capped with a cheeky try at the end, and Ronan O’Gara’s judgment and kicking was in a different class to Henson’s.

There wasn’t much rampant running from the back division, but there were occasional bursts from Gordon D’Arcy and Shane Horgan, who won the Man of the Match award.

Wales dominated the opening quarter and they deservedly took the lead with an eighth minute try from Mark Jones, who got the touch after Matthew Watkins chipped ahead. Irish winger Andrew Trimble seemed in control but only succeeded in knocking the bouncing ball back and into the path of the Welsh winger.

O’Gara helped Ireland back into the contest with a penalty in the 15th minute but then failed to convert a well-deserved try from Wallace ten minutes later.

Wallace was twice warned by fussy referee Jonathon Kaplan for technical offences, but he had the last laugh when he drove over from a scrum five metres out.

Ireland kept up the pressure and O’Gara tacked on a penalty to leave his side 11-5 in front at the break.

It got better when Horgan was sent in for a marvellous try four minutes after the resumption, courtesy of sublime passes from O’Gara and O’Driscoll. The out-half converted and then kicked penalties in the 7th and 18th minutes of the half. He will be forgiven for missing a point blank effort in between.

At 24-5, the game was up for Wales. And Ireland had the last say as well. Having been denied a try two minutes from the end, Stringer burrowed his way over for the score that he and Ireland deserved, with O’Gara taking Ireland to 31 with the conversion.

In two weeks’ time, it’s back to Lansdowne Road again, but Ireland, despite the joy of winning yesterday, have taken note of the threat from Scotland.

Wisely, coach O’Sullivan conceded: “After what Scotland have done this winter, we will take nothing for granted.”

IRELAND: G. Murphy (Leicester), S. Horgan (Leinster), B. O’Driscoll (Leinster) captain, G. D’Arcy (Leinster), A. Trimble (Ulster), R. O’Gara (Munster), P. Stringer (Munster), M. Horan (Munster), J. Flannery (Munster), J. Hayes (Munster), D. O’Callaghan (Munster), M. O’Kelly (Leinster), S. Easterby (Llanelli), D. Leamy (Munster), D. Wallace (Munster) Replacements. S. Best (Belfast Harlequins) for Horan (68, injured), J. O’Connor (Wasps) for Wallace (76), M. O’Driscoll (Munster) for Easterby (77), R. Best (Belfast Harlequins) for Flannery (79).

WALES: L Byrne (Llanelli), M. Jones (Llanelli), H. Luscombe (Newport Gwent Dragons), M. Watkins (Llanelli), D. James (Llanelli), S. Jones (Clermont Auvergne), D. Peel (Llanelli), D. Jones (Ospreys), R. Thomas (Cardiff), A. Jones (Ospreys), I. Gough (Newport Gwent Dragons), R. Sidoli (Cardiff), C. Charvis (Newcastle), M. Owen (Newport Gwent Dragons) captain, M. Williams (Cardiff).

Replacements: G. Henson for Jones (19, injured), G. Jenkins for D. Jones (44), G. Delve (Bath) for Charvis (56), M. Davis (Gloucester) for Thomas (60), B. Davies (Llanelli) for Byrne (74).

Referee: J. Kaplan (South Africa).