Right, time to wrap up this live blog given that Luke McLaughlin’s report from Cardiff has dropped, with attention now turning to Twickenham for the next thrilling instalment of the 2025 Six Nations.
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The Irish triple crown celebrations have been a little muted. Probably for two reasons: 1) they known they’ve been in a tough game, and 2) they’ve got bigger ambitions to come. The Grand Slam is in sight.
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Lee Calvert is a one-man Six Nations live-blogging machine. He’s already hopped onto Scotland v England duty, ahead of that one kicking off soon.
Where’s yer money?
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Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan lift the triple crown shield together on the pitch at the Principality Stadium.
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“Really proud after the week we’ve had – a performance like that against one of the best teams in the world,” says Welsh skipper Jac Morgan.
“Hearing the crowd support us and cheer us on is massive. We’ll get a lot of confidence from today’s performance.”
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Jamison Gibson-Park spoke to BBC Sport. He said: “We have to give a lot of credit to Wales, it was very tough out there today. They’re a proud nation and they showed that today.
“It would be a dangerous thing to come over here with any preconceived ideas. It was always going to be tough to come to Wales and they proved that today. It’s tough mentally but we’re well prepared for these kind of things.”
“That was a proper Test match in a great stadium,” added Dan Sheehan. “Very proud of the boys for getting through that.”
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Thanks Lee. Some of the Irish players have been chatting to the media after a hard-fought win.
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I’m hopping over to cover England vs Scotland, so I’ll leave you in Dom Booth’s capable hands.
In the end it was comfortable for Ireland, with Wales returning to being too frantic in possession as the game moved into the final ten minutes. But make no mistake this was vastly better from Sherratt’s team, despite is being the 15th defeat on the bounce.
FULL TIME! Wales 18 - 27 Ireland
81 mins. Ireland put away a much improved performance from Matt Sherratt’s team to win the triple crown and keep the hat-trick of Six Nations championship wins on track.
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MISSED PENALTY! Wales 18 - 27 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
80 mins. The kick misses right but stays is so Wales will continue to play.
79 mins. Ineffectual Welsh possession throws the ball left and right on halfway. It ends with an Ireland turnover.
PENALTY! Wales 18 - 27 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
77 mins. The home side are on the ball in their own half and there’s very little forward ball momentum coming. Quite the opposite as they move laterally then backwards and instead of kicking they compound it with more pointless passing that inevitably leads to a powerful Irish counter-ruck to win a penalty.
Prendergast takes the three and that’s the game.
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75 mins. Wales build up to put pressure on the Irish scrum close to the line, but the green pack summon their collective strength and drive forward to splinter the Welsh eight. A clearing penalty is won.
NO TRY! Wales 18 - 24 Ireland (Ellis Mee)
Mee was millimetres short with his grounding and it’s called a knock-on. It’s the right decision.
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73 mins. It’s all hands left from Wales to Ellis Mee who stands up Hansen just enough to given him a chance to ground it in the corner millimetres from the line. The on-field decision is try, so the TMO needs to find clear evidence it isn’t one either due to being in touch or an issue with grounding.
71 mins. After a masterclass of out of hand kicking from Prendergast his latest is booted like his foot is made from Gregg’s steak bake and it flops left and out of the full. Wales will have the ball in the Irish 22.
PENALTY! Wales 18 - 24 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
69 mins. Bundee Aki wins a big turnover on halfway. It’s 50 metres out, but young Prendergast hammers it through with plenty of metres to spare.
Slowly, inexorably, Ireland are throttling this match.
67 mins. The TMO pauses play as Wales sub Henry Thomas looks to have clattered Porter’s head. However on review it was Thomas’s chest that caught a bent over Porters head in the ruck. No foul play, on we go.
PENALTY! Wales 18 - 21 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
65 mins. Once again Ireland enter the 22 and it results in an offside penalty advantage and a player going over the line. However, this time it’s not try as Hack Hansen is held up by a brilliant tackle from Murray.
Prendergast takes three points to put his side back in front as we head for the final 15 minutes.
62 mins. We’re into the final quarter and there’s a feeling that Wales may start to punch themselves out, allowing the ever clinical Ireland to snatch it. Hang around and find out whether this post ages like milk.
61 mins. A maul gets going for Wales just inside the Irish half which give a platform to launch some more phases of attack. Ireland again fan out and dare the home side to break though, which they very nearly do as the impressive Mee straightens up and offloads to Llewellyn in midfield but he can’t grip the ball.
59 mins. A midfield penalty for Wales is despatched to touch where the lineout is secured. The ball is moved into the backs, but it’s all beginning to look and feel a little too frenetic for the home side, which is confirmed as an overrun pass ends up forward from Llewellyn.
There’s a break in play while Aki gets some treatment, which is the perfect time for both teams to recalibrate.
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TRY! Wales 18 - 18 Ireland (Jamie Osborne)
56 mins. Prendergast puts in a glorious spiral kick that’s a one-bounce 50:22. The lineout is won and Ireland are up to to the 5m line and on a penalty advantage the ball is booted left towards Lowe who climbs high in the air to slap the ball backwards to Osborne.
Prendergast misses the two and we’re all square.
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53 mins. Faletau wins a lineout but as he’s coming down McCarthy reaches round and slaps the ball out of his hands. It looks like a knock-on against Wales, but the assistant ref has a word to confirm it’s a penalty to the home side for playing the man in the air.
51 mins. Wales go full Fiji by chucking the ball about all over the place, but there’s not a huge amount of desperation in what they are going, and it has Ireland scrambling again. Mee pops up at least three times all over the park – it’s a solid debut from him – but a turnover penalty is won by a breathless and grateful Ireland.
Bundee Aki is on as the 20-min red card period of Ringrose ends.
PENALTY! Wales 18 - 13 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
48 mins. Lots of phases for Ireland, the majority of which were on an advantage which comes to nothing so Prendergast eats up some more of the red card 20 mins by kicking sticks.
45 mins. Having learned some lessons for the first half, Wales settle the restart and Tomos Williams booms it into touch. Ireland lose their lineout, but it’s knocked on by Williams as he looks to burgle the ball which will put the visitors on the attack in the Wales 22.
TRY! Wales 18 - 10 Ireland (Tom Rogers)
43 mins. Ireland have noticeably upped the pace in the hands, looking to work Wales harder, but a poor kick from Osborne surrenders possession.
Wales move the ball with equal zip, first to the left then all the way right to Rogers who executes a flying one handed grounding to score his first international try in the corner. A fantastic finish to end a confident move.
Conversion missed
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Second Half!
We’re back up and running.
RED CARD! Gary Ringrose (Ireland)
It’s been confirmed.
A point on Ringrose’s potential red.
If it is awarded – and it should be given he absolutely flew in upright from a long way out so head contact, plus degree of danger with no mitigation seems clear to me – then under the 20-min red law then Ireland will get to bring Bundee Aki on to replace him for what is likely to be the key last quarter of the game.
I cannot fathom how this law variation is seen as good or fair idea.
Wales are an unrecognisable side from a fortnight ago in all facets; shape, composure, set piece, heart, I could go on. It’s not perfect, but what do you expect after two weeks? What no-one expected was them to be up after forty minutes.
Ireland won’t be too worried, though, they’ve looked to have the number of the home side when in their red zone, but will they be able to do that enough with a malfunctioning scrum and down to fourteen men for a good bit, as looks likely?
It couldn’t be could it?
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Half Time!
PEEEEP! Wales are ahead! Can you believe it?
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TRY! Wales 13 - 10 Ireland (Jac Morgan)
42 mins. Drive after drive from Wales at the Irish line is repelled by an incredible defensive effort, but eventually the banging on the door blows the hinges as Morgan forces over.
Anscomble converts.
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39 mins. The home side are inches away from the line after a lineout catch and drive. They are attacking on a penalty advantage and the scramble defence is rapid and effective from Ireland. It’s time for another Welsh lineout.
38 mins. A sliver of a chance for Wales as they have an overlap on the left, but the attack is too lateral which Mee then spills forward. The resulting scrum has another penalty awarded to Wales.
Adam Jones is sat in the stands nodding in quiet satisfaction
MISSED PENALTY! Wales 6 - 10 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
36 mins. An absolute coach-killer for Matt Sherratt as Wales are penalised for blocking an Irish kick chaser on the restart. Prendergast says thanks very much, but he bounces it back off the right post!
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PENALTY! Wales 6 - 10 Ireland (Gareth Anscombe)
35 mins. After all that, Anscombe kicks the original penalty.
YELLOW CARD! Gary Ringrose (Ireland)
34 mins. The home side are in the 22, but Ireland are again fanned out across the field and inviting Wales to give it their best. It’s a bit of huff and puff from the attack, but there is a penalty against Ireland. The advantage is playing out and Ringrose flies in high on Ben Thomas, it’s head on head and the centre is off for a yellow card review which I believe will be upgraded to a red.
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32 mins. A scrappy lineout from Ireland on halfway leads to awkward possession that doesn’t really get going. It then coming to a halt as WillGriff John puts in a huge counter-ruck to win a penalty for his team – the prop is having quite the half.
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30 mins. Ireland are back in the Wales half for the first time in a little while and they are very close to scoring again. The ball comes left to Hansen in midfield who throws and outrageous one-handed over the head pass to Osborne, but his pass to Ringrose is not good and flies into touch. A better execution from the fullback and that was another try.
28 mins. It continues to be neat and better from Wales in the middle third, but Ireland are putting no-one in the ruck and are containing the attacks like an older brother with his hand on the head of a feisty, haymaking sibling.
24 mins. Wales move the ball right quickly all the way to Mee who has moved off his left wing. As Osborne moves towards him the winger kicks it forward for Tomos Williams to chase, but Sheehan gets there first to cover it.
It’s hard to fully articulate just how much better Wales’s attacking shape is, which is some achievement given Matt Sherratt has only had then for three training sessions.
PENALTY! Wales 3 - 10 Ireland (Gareth Anscombe)
22 mins. Thomas makes up for that scrum by hammering Sheehan to dislodge the ball on the Irish 22. Wales move it right quickly and a penalty is awarded that Anscombe wastes no time in teeing up to put his side on the scoreboard.
PENALTY! Wales 0 - 10 Ireland (Sam Prendergast)
20 mins. Nicky Smith is off for Wales for an HIA, this brings on Gareth Thomas who is promptly folded in the scrum giving a kickable penalty that Prendergast calmly slots.
19 mins. As worrying as the scrum is for Ireland, so the breakdown is for Wales where if they are not being penalised they are losing possession. The precision is way off and Ireland are more than happy to snaffle the loose balls.
16 mins. More snappy phases from Ireland, the ball coming out of the ruck quickly due to Wales not committing many to the breakdown. This allows all the Irish tricks of planned phases and angled running to flourish, but it comes to an end as Mee gets a hand in on Lowe to force a knock-on. This leads to another scrum and another penalty for Wales!
Ireland’s scrum is getting marmalised.
13 mins. A story of two contrasting set pieces areas so far for Wales as the second scrum results in another penalty to the home side, this time Nicky Smith doing a job on Clarkson, that is followed by an overthrown lineout. Ireland have the ball back in the Wales half.
10 mins. Wales have the ball around the Ireland 10m line and they already look far better organised than in their last two games. Anscombe is working the attack well, but the promising position is ruined after there’s an overzealous clearout by a red player that the ref determines took a defender beyond the horizontal. A relieving penalty to Ireland.
8 mins. A summation of what Ireland are all about with that try; efficient, powerful and not wasteful of an opportunity. Wales’s heads went down early under Gatland and this is a test of whether Sherratt has injected a bit more belief as they’ve not done a huge amount wrong to be behind.
TRY! Wales 0 - 7 Ireland (Jack Conan)
6 mins. A strong first phase attack from Ireland moves the ball left quickly. They are into the Wales 5m zone and the visitors inevitably drift offside as they defend frantically. The ball is put in the corner for a lineout which is won and two phases later Conan drives over the line.
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4 mins. The scrum ends with a Wales penalty after WillGriff John forces Porter to the floor. The clearing kick and lineout gives phased possession in the Ireland half, but the ball is not secured and Ringrose puts in a delightful drilled, bobbling kick up the right touchline. It’s a 50:22 and Ireland will have the ball in the Wales 22.
2 mins. A sensible recycle and clear from Wales is returned with interest by Ireland with a kick putting Murray under pressure as the green chasers bear down on him. The fullback bounces the kick forward off his hands and the visitors will have and attacking scrum in the Welsh half.
Kick Off
Ref Christophe Ridley blasts his whistle and Prendergast boots us underway.
The roof is closed, “Thunderstruck” is booming out as the pyrotechnics flash and pop. Into the cacophony emerge the teams led by their young captains Jac Morgan and Dan Sheehan. We’ll have the usual formalities before kick off.
“Fingers crossed for the Triple Crown!” japes Martyn Fairbrother. “Realistically, though, hoping for less bad than against France.”
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Pre match reading
Get in touch on email with your thoughts on the match or anything else. What are your realistic targets as Wales fans in what could be a very tricky afternoon? And if you’re of the green persuasion, are you wearing the favourites tag lightly?
Teams
Matt Sherratt restores some semblance of order by recalling Gareth Anscombe to the ten shirt, moving Ben Thomas into a more familiar role of inside centre. Elswhere in the backs there’s a recall for Max Llewellyn at 13, Scarlets youngster Ellis Mee is on the wing and Blair Murray is at fullback. The latter two changes forced by injury to Josh Adans and Liam Williams.
In the forwards, WillGriff John is in at tighthead while Tommy Reffell is given the the job of disrupting Ireland’s terrifying breakdown work in the back row.
Ireland on the face of it have made a lot of changes, but many are more a return to the norm as players come back from injury - Mack Hansen and Joe McCarthy the most obvious – or a rotation of quality for quality like Henshaw replacing Bundee Aki at centre. Jamie Osborne at fullback and Tom Clarkson at prop appear to be genuine “let’s have another proper look at you at this level” selections.
Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas, Ellis Mee; Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, WillGriff John; Will Rowlands, Dafydd Jenkins; Jac Morgan (capt), Tommy Reffell, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Gareth Thomas, Henry Thomas, Teddy Williams, Aaron Wainwright, Rhodri Williams, Jarrod Evans, Joe Roberts.
Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Mack Hansen, Gary Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tom Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh Van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Jack Boyle, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Cian Prendergast, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Bundee Aki.
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Preamble
A match of contrasts awaits. Wales are a team on zero wins from fourteen attempts, shorn of a legendary head coach for the second time and a squad with so many lineup changes it’s like Mark E Smith is is charge. But, in defence of the actual new man in charge, Cardiff’s Matt Sherratt, many of this week’s selection swaps do put people back in the position they regularly play – a novel idea that only bold new thinking could deliver. Apparently.
Ireland meanwhile come off the back of dishing out a whomping to Scotland – their second win of the tournament – and have taken the selection approach that you don’t change the engine in the threshing machine simply because what you’re feeding into it is softer this week. Plus, the Triple Crown and the possible third championship on the bounce is still on.
So begins the second post-Gatland phase for Wales; redefining what constitutes success, in the face of what will undoubtedly be an onslaught on home turf.
