As for players still sweating a place in the World Cup squad? Hallam Amos almost certainly didn’t do enough to force his way in ahead of Cuthbert, who was steady. Bradley Davies was very impressive and should be in, too. The especially good news for Warren Gatland though is that George North came through 80 minutes without so much as a scare.
For Ireland, Dave Kearney looked incredibly solid and surely will be part of the squad now even though back three is such a hotly contested area. The biggest question for Joe Schmidt is over the fitness of so many players: Tommy O’Donnell is already out, Cian Healy is a concern and there were injuries today to Peter O’Mahoney, Luke Fitzgerald and Keith Earls. Even for a squad with as much depth as Ireland, this could be concerning.
Anyway, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading. Bye!
Well I’m exhausted just watching that. We use the word “absorbing” to describe a lot of matches, perhaps too many, but this time it was as though the headline using that word was written already and the teams played to order*.
Wales very deserved their win on the back of the kind of fierce defence that you’re more likely to see in a Grand Slam decider than a summer friendly. Ireland battered away relentlessly, as you’d expect from a team led by Paul O’Connell, but there was barely a chink in the Welsh wall, which was marshalled brilliantly by the man of the match, Tipuric.
Wales will be glad of a win, Ireland won’t be too disheartened by defeat. There may be some concern on both sides about the lack of creativity, ideas, penetrations... you know, the pretty stuff. Still, there’s just about time to improve that yet and on that showing you’d say both these sides look better placed than England right now.
Reddan pops it to Henderson, who goes close. It’s recycled to Cronin who bursts over! Did he get it down though?! Joubert thinks it was held up, so conclusive proof is needed.
80 min Henderson takes the throw and Ireland get that driving maul going. Tipuric is in there looking to disrupt it, but Cronin peels off the back. Ireland hammering away at that red wall now and the ball goes loose, but POC seizes it back. Back right we go and the clock is red. Still they come and Wales try to hold O’Brien up. They don’t and there’s another penalty for clearing out by the neck...
78 min O’Connell steals the lineout midway inside the Welsh half and will have one more chance to win this. Through the phases they go and Wales are penalised for taking out the half-back.
77 min Gareth Davies, the replacement nine, throws a dodgy pass to nowhere that has Priestland in trouble. The crowd aren’t happy though, as Ireland are ruled to be up too fast and Wales get a penalty for offside.
76 min Ireland go for the maul, but it’s held up and Wales get the scrum! Tipuric, obviously, gets the plaudits for that. What an understudy to Warburton Wales have in him. I’m wondering if they might consider him over the less dynamic Lydiate on the blindside.
75 min Penalty to Ireland as they look to run it out of the 22, for obstruction. Jackson kicks to touch well, deep into Welsh territory on the left. With the ball resembling a bar of soap, Cronin finds Henderson well.
74 min From a scrum in the middle of the pitch, Wales get a scrum. I think that both benches have been emptied now, by the way. Right it goes as Wales creep forward down the short side, before Priestland goes high but too deep.
72 min The ball carrying from Wales’ locks and back row today has been outstanding. From the restart, they recycle it easily enough and, with Ireland sucked into the rucks, North is away! He gives it left to Amos on the overlap, but the youngster shows his naivety and immediately grubbers ahead when he should keep it in hand. Kearney dots it down safely.
69 min Kick, kick, kick, kick but then Amos collects Priestland’s garryowen. Scott Williams go on an arcing run into the 22 but then Henshaw knocks Faletau (!) back. Wales move it right, not gaining much ground but keeping the ball at least.
68 min Fitzgerald and Alun Wyn Jones are both hurt. This is going to prompt a reshuffle, as Fitzgerald is replaced by the lock Donnacha Ryan. Incidentally Priestland kicked ahead a few minutes ago, but Dave Kearney touched it down for a 22 drop-out. This has been brutal.
67 min Jackson chips over the top, but Halfpenny takes. He kicks and Dave Kearney, who has looked very solid today, carries it back. Back it goes to Jackson in the pocket and he tries the drop goal from all of 45 metres, but it’s charged down by Charteris. He was never getting that.
66 min Another high kick, another Kearney underneath it before Kilcoyne carries it up over the gainline. Ireland move it right and go through the phases, slowly. So slowly.
64 min Earls is taken off, replaced by Jones, with a head knock and this really doesn’t look good. Reddan is also on, for Murray and Jackson for Sexton. Earls raises his arm to let the crowd know he’s OK, which is really good to see. In the meantime, Halfpenny is lining up a penalty from the 10m line, just to the right.
63 min These players must be knackered. The ball has barely been out of play. Wales go left, but Amos – who appears to be on for someone – sends a poor grubber straight to Rob Kearney. We’re going back for a penalty to Wales, while the motorised stretcher comes on for Earls.
62 min Another poor lineout, something that has let Wales down today, and Ireland win it. But then Sexton’s kick is poor and fielded in the middle of the pitch by Halfpenny. He offloads to North and Earls does himself a mischief stopping the wing. Wales retain it, but they’ve gone back to halfway.
60 min Ireland in possession, going patiently through the phases in the middle of the pitch. Sexton picks up scrappy ball and hits a wonderful snap kick immediately into the corner. We’re going back though as there was a clearout by the neck by O’Connell on Tipuric. It’s just a penalty, for the exact same offence that Calum Clark was sin-binned for when England played France at Twickenham.
59 min An exchange of kicks, then a very long looping pass looks like it might send Cuthbert away. He gets on the outside of Earls, but the smaller man is able to drag him down. More kicking back and forth follows.
Alex Cuthbert has been in the thick of things for Wales. Photograph: Matt Browne/SPORTSFILE/Corbis
58 min Through the phases we go, but Wales are struggling to generate the momentum needed to get over the gain line. Webb looks to dart, but he’s caught and the lack of scrum-half means the ball is loose, seized upon by Ireland and cleared.
57 min Ireland win the lineout, albeit not in the most convincing manner, and Murray gets it clear, out of the 22. From the lineout though, Wales take it back in with North coming off his wing to take a nice popped inside pass.
56 min A new lineout combination as Baldwin and Charteris are on. From midway inside their own half, Wales take it off the top, win the up-and-under and Roberts goes on the charge, bursting up, over halfway and into the 22. It’s recycled and Halfpenny stabs it through on the left for Roberts to chase, but into touch it goes.
55 min This won’t be a popular decision: Wales are under pressure, but McGrath is wheeling it says the referee and it’s a penalty Wales. Unpopular, but correct, I’d say.
54 min Heaslip takes it at the front and SOB drives for the corner. Joubert consults with Wayne Barnes, his touch-judge; “Definitely held up,” says Barnes, “so yeah we’ll check.” To the TMO we go, but Tipuric has ripped the ball from O’Brien right on the line. Outstanding work.
53 min Sean Cronin, on for Strauss, makes ground with an arcing half-break. Then North is in trouble as a Sexton kick, which looks to be too deep, bounces awkwardly and forces the Northampton wing to turn twice before gathering. Dave Kearney does well to drag the big man into touch five metres from the Welsh line.
50 min 30m from his own line, Webb goes high and Dave Kearney does a perfect impression of his brother, winning it in the air. Right it goes, Henshaw gets outside Tipuric but it’s another brilliant tackle from the flanker! Ireland shift it left, but that man Tipuric is, somehow, there again to win the penalty on the floor. What a performance this is.
49 min O’Mahoney is down injured as Ireland spin it left and Earls spins and jinks inside off his wing. Scott Williams wins the turnover brilliantly on the floor though!
