| Ireland: (17) 31 |
| Tries: Sheehan, Lowe, Frawley, Beirne Cons: Crowley 4 Pen: Crowley |
| Wales: (0) 7 |
| Try: Penalty try |
Ireland moved closer to completing back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams with an unconvincing bonus-point win over a spirited Wales side in Dublin.
Dan Sheehan’s opening try and a James Lowe score had the hosts 17-0 up after a dominant first-half display.
Welsh hopes of a shock win were boosted when they were awarded a penalty try early in the second half as Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne was sin-binned.
But Ciaran Frawley eased home nerves before Beirne bagged the bonus point.
The win means Ireland have equalled England’s Six Nations record of 11 consecutive victories and remain on course to become the first team since France in 1998 to secure back-to-back Grand Slams.
For Wales, it is a third successive defeat but they were not blown away as some had predicted, and can take positives from a spirited second-half showing in which they caused their hosts problems, but lacked the cutting edge to really eat into the deficit.
Ireland too strong in first half
Given Ireland’s dominance of this fixture in recent years and their remarkable winning run at home – which now stands at 18 matches – few had given the Welsh much hope in the build-up.
However, in a dull and scrappy start to the game, Ireland did not have it all their own way with the Welsh defence showing plenty of might to stop the first Irish maul of the game after Jack Crowley’s penalty put the home side on the board.
But with Ireland wholly dominant in the scrum, they were soon afforded the chance of another catch-and-drive, which yielded the desired – and by now familiar – result of a Sheehan try, his fourth of the competition and ninth in 24 caps.
Ireland’s second came from another familiar source in Lowe, the wing crossing for his 14th international try after Wales’ stubborn defence was pierced by an impressive Joe McCarthy surge.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Ireland: Frawley; Nash, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; McCarthy, Beirne; O’Mahony (capt), Van der Flier, Doris.
Replacements: Kelleher, Healy, Jager, Ryan, Baird, Conan, Murray, McCloskey.
Sin-bin: Beirne (43), Ryan (76)
Wales: Winnett; Adams, North, Tompkins, Dyer; Costelow, Tomos Williams; G Thomas, Dee, Assiratti, Jenkins (capt), Beard, Mann, Reffell, Wainwright.
Replacements: Elias, Domachowski, D Lewis, Rowlands, M Martin, Hardy, I Lloyd, Grady.
Match officials
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Touch judges: Karl Dickson (England) & Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
