Ireland 29
Wales 7
Andrew Conway scored a second-half brace as Ireland got their Six Nations campaign off to an emphatic start with a thumping win 28-7 over Wales at the Aviva Stadium.
Centres Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose also crossed the whitewash in either half as Ireland's backs provided the finishing touch to a dominant performance from the pack.
Captain Johnny Sexton kicked a penalty and three conversions against a swirling, unpredictable wind to move past 500 career points in the Six Nations, second only to Jonny Wilkinson and Ronan O'Gara.
The only slight blemish on the result came five minutes from time as Tadhg Beirne's ill-advised offload in his own 22 gave Taine Basham a free run to the line.
Ireland had dominated from the first whistle, however, it took just three minutes for Andy Farrell's side to cross the line for the first time as Aki touched down in the corner.
Mack Hansen, who was named sponsor's player of the match for an outstanding debut performance, provided the killer pass for his Connacht teammate.
The Australia-born wing had already made a telling contribution inside the opening minute as he gathered Ringrose's blocked-down kick before racing into the Welsh 22.
From the resulting line-out, Caelan Doris got over the gain line and Tadhg Beirne moved the ball quickly to Hansen, who showed good vision to pick out Aki in space on the wing.
Sexton nailed a difficult conversion from the touchline, but he missed two good opportunities to extend the lead from the tee as the wind pulled his penalty attempts right of the posts.
The 36-year-old, who expects to sign a new deal with the IRFU after the Six Nations, did get the hang of the wind eventually and landed his fourth kick to put Ireland 10-0 inside the opening 20 minutes.
Wales enjoyed their best period of the game thereafter and began to pin Ireland into their own half, but they found the suffocating Irish defence impossible to break down.
Ryan Elias looked to have found a gap in midfield but he was cleverly isolated and turned over, however an awful Jamison Gibson-Park pass off the back of the scrum, which hit Aki in the shins, presented the ball right back.
For a moment, it looked like number eight Aaron Wainwright might scamper in on the left wing but Ireland's scramble defence was impressive and Wales knocked on.
The visitors will have been relieved to get in at half time just ten points down, but it took Ireland less than four minutes to put the game effectively out of reach.
It was a stunning finish from Conway as, having been forced to check his run 15 metres out, he took off like a light from a standing start and dived for the corner.
The Munster winger's initial attempt to ground came up just short, but he managed to roll the ball onto the line before he was bundled into touch by Josh Adams.
Wales increased the tempo of their play as they sought to find a route back in and a high tackle from James Ryan presented them with a chance to kick into the corner.
Or it would have, had Adams, who had a nightmare in the unfamiliar outside centre position, targeted Sexton with a shoulder-charge to the chest. Penalty reverse, ten minutes in the bin for Adams.
Ringrose and Sexton had made easy yards all afternoon in the 13 channel but Josh van der Flier had an even easier time getting through the empty space left by Adams.
Ryan and Beirne both made dashes for the line but the extra man eventually told as Gibson-Park picked out Conway in space on the right-hand touchline for an easy finish.
And Garry Ringrose brought up the bonus point on the hour mark with a slaloming run from deep as Ireland capitalised on turnover ball.
Wales' Six Nations debutant Taine Basham scored a consolation try late on as he was presented the easiest of finishes by a loose Beirne offload but it made no material difference to the outcome.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Andrew Conway, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen; Johnny Sexton (capt), Jamison Gibson Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, James Hume.
Wales: 15. Liam Williams, 14. Johnny McNicholl, 13. Josh Adams, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Louis Rees-Zammit, 10. Dan Biggar (capt), 9. Tomos Williams, 1. Wyn Jones, 2. Ryan Elias, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Will Rowlands, 5. Adam Beard, 6. Ellis Jenkins, 7. Taine Basham, 8. Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: 16. Dewi Lake, 17. Gareth Thomas, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Seb Davies, 20. Ross Moriarty, 21. Gareth Davies, 22. Callum Sheedy, 23. Owen Watkin.
