Focus on Ireland's attack: ‘When you’re building towards something, you want functional’

The clock had long dipped into the red at the end of the first-half by the time Jonathan Sexton attempted one of those trademark wraparound moves only to be swallowed by a bear hug of a tackle and then held up by a posse of supporting Welshmen.

It was a slightly worrying end to the period, even if the time factor had limited Ireland’s options by forcing them to keep the ball in hand, because it supported the impression that Joe Schmidt’s side was still struggling to expand their attacking offering on the eve of the World Cup.