How Ireland rated: Unstoppable Bundee Aki delivers once again

As always there were standouts, but this match once again proved the unity and togetherness of Andy Farrell's squad.

Wales' Sam Costelow tackles Ireland's Bundee Aki.

15 – Ciaran Frawley 

The Leinster production line keeps churning them out, the versatile Frawley filling the sizeable boots of the injured Hugo Keenan. Never really put under much pressure by Wales, Frawley made himself so useful stepping in at first-receiver, notably for the match-shaping try. 7 

14 – Calvin Nash 

It’s a mark of how well Nash has played that the prodigious talent that is Mack Hansen has not been missed, Nash biding his time to make his mark, his under-pressure feed-in pass giving Lowe an easy run-in. 7 

13 – Robbie Henshaw 

It has been a typically productive tournament for Henshaw, maximising his opportunity to show what a down-to-earth yet classy operator he is, linking well, defending intelligently. 7 

12 – Bundee Aki 

Mr Consistent, a rock of reliability, taking all the heat in midfield, clever as well as durable as he showed with his ability to get in and over the ball to win turnovers, smashing into tackles. So potent. 9

DEATH GRIP: Bundee Aki tackles Josh Adams.

11 – James Lowe 

Busy, busy, busy. You always get the sense with Lowe that he would be scampering about with his customary glee and relish if he were in the middle of nowhere, always looking to get his hands on the ball, strolling in for his 14th test try. 9 

10 – Jack Crowley 

The TV shot of Johnny Sexton in the crowd did not stir any feelings of loss, a sign that the transition to Crowley has surpassed all expectations, the Munster out-half polishing-up his flawed kicking against Italy with a perfect return. 8 

9 – Jamison Gibson-Park 

Alert and productive, always a threat. Gibson-Park is a man of vision, always looking, always aware as shown by his testing of the Welsh narrow-side defence, a livewire on top of his game. 9 

1 – Andrew Porter 

Loving his job, very proficient at it too. Porter was a mighty presence, his face a picture of joy as he won an early turnover but it was his power at the scrum that did the damage, a penalty won leading to the opening try. 9 

2 – Dan Sheehan 

A constant in all phases of play – carrying, tackling, his all-round involvement almost inevitably ending with him touching down for his fourth try of the championship. The shock at Ireland actually losing a lineout shows just how exemplary his throwing is. 9

3 – Tadhg Furlong 

There was a role to play for the tighthead and he went about his work with due diligence in the scrum and at the lineout, providing secure foundations for his team before giving way early in the second half. 7

JACK ATTACK: Jack Crowley during the match between Ireland and Wales at Aviva Stadium.

4 – Joe McCarthy 

Selfless and hard-working. McCarthy may not have caught the eye in quite the manner that he did in Marseille at the start of the campaign but he never shirks his duties at the coal-face, securing ball, doing the hard yards. 8 

5 – Tadhg Beirne 

Conspicuous and involved. The blue headguard of the Munster lock was prominent throughout, a source of ball at the front on the lineout to tee-up those driving mauls that prove so damaging. A yellow card and penalty try was offset by the bonus point try scored in the last play. 8 

6 – Peter O’Mahony (capt) 

This was not a match of great influence or consequence for the Ireland captain, unable to steady the ship as Wales came hard and Irish discipline faltered with 6 penalties conceded in 13 minutes. 6 

7 – Josh van der Flier 

Not the usual all-consuming display from the openside as he was restored to the starting line-up but van der Flier was never less than committed and on the case. 7 

8 – Caelan Doris 

Back in his favoured slot in the middle of the back-row, Doris did as Doris does, powering forward, challenging the gain-line with each and every carry, making sure that his scrum-half had a good platform off which to work. 7 

Replacements - There was still plenty of work to be done by the time the cavalry arrived to help quell a spirted Wales revival in the second half (mind you, they couldn’t have been much worse, so passive and ineffective were they in that first 40), and Ireland needed all the graft and craft that their replacements provided. Ryan Baird did his cause no harm with some characteristic punchy running while Jack Conan alongside was also in the fray, assisting in build towards the Frawley try. James Ryan got stuck in but then let his discipline slip with a yellow card. There was a heartening debut for prop, Oli Jager. The bonus point secured, the bench had done its job. 7