Wales looked every inch a tier two rugby nation as they were completely destroyed by Ireland in their Six Nations opener.
The final score, gruesome though it was, flattered Wayne Pivac’s men. Heaven only knows how they only trailed 10-0 at half-time.
By the final whistle, tries from centres Bundee Aki and Gary Ringrose, and two from wing Andrew Conway had handed the rampant Irish an easy bonus point win. Wales grabbed a meaningless late consolation try when flanker Taine Basham intercepted a Tadhg Beirne pass.
There have been more severe beatings in Dublin for Wales, but as one-sided encounters between these two nations go, this must have been up there. Ireland looked at times like one of the southern hemisphere giants outclassing much more limited opponents.
About the only thing Wales can cling to is the fact they held their own in the scrum, though even that looked shakier as time wore on.
Scotland come to the Welsh capital next weekend. When they watch the video of this, they will see noting of undue concern.
Pivac under real pressure
The Wales boss was given something of an armchair ride in his final press conference on Thursday.
Questions were largely about combinations, tactics and what various individuals could potentially bring to Test match combat.
But Pivac is under pressure now – and running out of excuses. He highlighted weeks ago the 700 caps worth of experience Wales were missing going into this championship, but let’s remember his starting XV boasted more appearances than Ireland’s, 487 compared to 468.
He’s won 10 matches out of 23 since taking over at the start of 2020 and Wales have Scotland at home next week followed by England at Twickenham and the visit of tournament favourites France to Cardiff.
If none of those three matches go Wales’ way he’ll be left with a win percentage of 38. Not good enough by a long chalk. His predecessor Warren Gatland won 42 Six Nations games out of 60 in 12 years.
Pivac may point to last season’s title win, but victories are Pivac’s only currency from now on.
Adams yellow indicative of poor Wales
The switching of Josh Adams from wing to outside-centre was fulsomely raked over by pre-match analysts.
It didn’t work.
The Cardiff man was targeted all game by Irish attackers who brought an all-court game to bear that their Welsh counterparts could only aspire to.
He strayed offside on several occasions and in the 49 th minute was yellow carded for a high shoulder charge on Johnny Sexton.
Adams looked painfully aggrieved when referee Jaco Peyper dispatched him, but he should just have been relieved not to have seen red. It was a reckless challenge, and if it had been a few inches higher, Adams would indeed have been sent off.
The decision effectively ended the game as a contest, if it even was one up to that point.
Moments later Conway received the ball on the right wing and had time for tea and biscuits before touching down for his team’s third try.
Rate the Wales players here
Grim opening 20
Watching the way the game started you felt all those most doom-laden predictions of Welsh demise may well come to pass.
Wales simply weren’t in it. Ireland started at a furious tempo, but while historically that was often exposed as bluster, there was a precision and intent in their play that was jolting.
They obliterated Wales at the gain-line, recycled possession at breakneck speed and some of the interplay among the backs was mesmerising.
It was all flat passes, Sexton wrap-arounds and dummying strike-runners that left Welsh defenders with twisted blood, forcing them to concede penalties in the scramble.
Aki’s try in the third minute prompted fears of a cricket score. The centre strolled over out wide on the left after a move orchestrated by the vision of Sexton and the ball carrying power of flanker Caelan Doris.
Wales’ second-quarter response
The stodgy and slow opening by Wales would have looked a whole lot worse if a strong wind hadn’t blown two Sexton penalties wide of the posts in the ninth and 13 th minutes.
At half-time Pivac will have been doing cartwheels at Wales being only 10-0 down, but in fairness the visitors clawed their way back into it as half-time neared.
Their first meaningful attack came in the 25 th minute when a poor pass by Irish scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park bounced of Aki’s shin and Wales attacked down the left through full-back Johnny McNicholl.
It came to nothing, but after pinching a couple of Irish lineouts, speeding up their work at the breakdown and finally managing to make some yardage with ball in hand, Pivac’s men enjoyed better territory.
Pity Ireland’s defence was equal to everything that came at them, which in truth wasn’t a massive amount.
Clumsy and costly second half start
Despite the obvious gulf in class, the relative closeness on the scoreboard gave Wales hope going into the second half, though it was imperative they scored first.
They didn’t.
Instead, three penalties were conceded (two offsides and pulling down a maul) and by the 44 th minute wing Conway was lunging for Ireland’s second score, correctly confirmed by the TMO after questions over whether he grounded the ball short of the line.
The score was absolutely crucial in the context of the game – Wales now had a mountain to climb, particularly after Sexton’s conversion.
After all the analysis that must have taken place in the Wales dressing room during the interval you hoped they would come out and make an early statement of intent, but there was nothing of the sort.
Not long after, Adams was sent to the cooler. Game over.
Regional rubbish filters through
The apologists will rail against the suggestion, but the regional chickens came home to roost in Dublin.
Unlike so often in the Gatland era, Wales looked like the corresponding product of their underperforming professional teams.
In possession they largely just chugged from one breakdown to the next, everything they attempted in attack looked forced and laboured. There was barely an ounce of confidence on display.
In contrast Ireland dazzled, looking every inch the manifestation of a provincial set-up that works for them as a rugby nation.
Those in denial will point to how Wales have been so successful during the regional era.
But didn’t we always say it wouldn’t go on forever? Well, perhaps this is the start of the downward spiral.
To get the latest rugby news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our Welsh rugby newsletter.
