From the outset Wales took the game to Ireland in an area that they have dominated every other team in the championship. Dan Biggar’s excellent restart was challenged for by Sam Warburton and Wales earned early possession.
Wales vs Ireland: How the Welsh Won
From this moment onwards Wales proved that they were more than a match for the Irish kicking game, with Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Biggar and Liam Williams all excellent under the high ball.
There should be no surprise in this as they have all been brilliant in this area all season but it flustered the Irish, they were not having their own way. Jamie Roberts remains a vital cog in the Welsh machine and got early touches as he tested out the Irish defence.
The theme of the match announced itself after just a minute and that was Wayne Barnes’ strict officiating of the breakdown. It was an area in which Wales had feared the Irish but as Dan Biggar spread the ball wide and moved the Irish forwards around, success came the way of the Welsh and they found themselves 12-0 up after 13 minutes.
In this quarter of an hour period Leigh Halfpenny showed his worth and as well as excellent kicking at goal, his positioning and kicking from hand were superb. At this stage Ireland were rattled and Sexton, who has been fantastic throughout the championship, began to make mistakes that put his side under pressure, including a very poor restart that went out on the full.
Samson Lee left the field after 12 minutes and gave Ireland some dominance up front, however, Aaron Jarvis propped well against more experienced opposition. Rob Evans should also be praised and after coming on for his debut at half time for the injured Gethin Jenkins, propped up the scrum admirably.
It may not have looked it, but perhaps the most important moment of the game came after 21 minutes when Sam Warburton stole an Irish line-out on his own five metre line.
At the time Ireland were beginning to gain some momentum and had that line out gone to hand they would almost certainly have scored and the it would have been 12-10 and a completely different game.
This was a try saving, match changing turnover and it wasn’t the only turnover of that type Warburton earned on Saturday.
He moment Wales won this game the seven minutes in which they defended phenomenally early in the second half. It was a victory built on the coaching of Shaun Edwards and Ireland simply could not find a way through. If the men in green had scored at that point, they would have won the game, make no bones about it; the Welsh defence won them this game. With 289 tackles in total and 37 from Luke Charteris alone, Wales slogged out this victory and it will taste all the sweeter for the slog.
The match winner however, was Scott Williams who showed once again that he knows exactly where the try line is.
With only 36% possession and 34% territory, Wales only had one real chance and they took it as Scott Williams dived through the gap left as Jamie Heaslip committed to Dan Biggar to score Wales’ only try.
Wales may have lacked creative flair once again but with a defence as stern as it was on Saturday, Wales only needed to be clinical when they got their chances and they did that superbly.
