Ireland got their 2007 RBS 6 Nations campaign off to a winning start on Sunday, battling past Wales for a three-try 19-9 victory at the Millennium Stadium.
2007 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 4
WALES 9 IRELAND 19, Millennium Stadium (Att: 74,239)
Scorers: Wales: Pens: Stephen Jones 3
Ireland: Tries: Rory Best, Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara; Conversions: O’Gara 2
Full-Time: After an exhaustive 80 minutes, Ireland emerge triumphant from Cardiff – it may have been ugly, but a win is a win and the bangwagon rolls on to Croke Park next weekend – It is France next Sunday, with a 3pm kick-off at Jones’s Road venue. Join us then.
79 mins: D’Arcy has been announced as the RBS man of the match. A well-deserved award.
77 mins: Wales want to finish the game going forward, searching for an elusive try, but a turnover, with Leamy again to the fore, and a spun scrum allows Ireland to clear the danger.
75 mins: O’Driscoll has been taken off by the Irish management, with Murphy coming back on. Mike Phillips, replacing Peel, will finish the match as Wales’ scrum half.
71 mins: IRELAND TRY! O’Gara dives over in the right corner to grab what should be the clinching try. It was created by D’Arcy, who beat off three tracklers to bring play up close to the Welsh line and O’Gara had enough strength to beat Hook for the corner. Another excellent conversion from the Irish number 10 makes it a ten-point game. Wales 9 Ireland 19.
68 mins: Ireland are coming good in the closing quarter, perhaps helped by two fortuitous refereeing decisions. The Irish maul forward but the Welsh defence is strong. They have brought Matthew Rees in for Rhys Thomas at hooker.
65 mins: Ireland make a change at hooker – Jerry Flannery, back from his shoulder injury, replaces Best for his tenth cap.
62 mins: Hook tries a long range drop goal but it spins away to the right of the posts – D’Arcy is having a great game in attack and defence, a powerful hit from the Wexford man on Stephen Jones forces a knock-on.
60 mins: Aled Brew has replaced Luscombe to win his first cap. O’Driscoll, who looks to have a hamstring injury, is receiving treatement from the Irish medical team but is fit enough to continue.
58 mins: Ireland are just not firing – they need a spark and it will not come from Dempsey as his up-and-under goes straight into touch.
55 mins: Great midfield break from O’Gara, past Gough and Hook, sets Ireland on the charge. The ball ends up on the right flank where the hosts infringe, but Ireland frustratingly lose the ball at the lineout and Williams clears to touch. Duncan Jones is on for Chris Horsman.
53 mins: Ireland’s half-backs are pressurised into a mistake, Williams comes up with the ball and Wales spread the ball out to the left where a timely tackle from Trimble halts the attack.
51 mins: Ireland attack off a scrum close to the Welsh 22, but O’Driscoll’s pass to D’Arcy, who pumps his legs forward, is ruled forward. Gough is back on the field after receiving treatment.
48 mins: Leamy, Ireland’s best forward so far, comes up with a great steal to stave off the latest Welsh attack. A knock on from the hosts and a lengthy O’Gara clearance sees Ireland gain good territory.
45 mins: O’Callaghan is lucky to avoid a sin-binning as he is caught slowing up Welsh ball at a ruck inside the Irish 22. Wales have made a change in the second row – Ian Gough has made way for Robert Sidoli.
42 mins: A turnover in midfield, with pressure on Stringer at a ruck, sees Wales launch their first attack of the half and it almost leads to their first try. Only a last-gasp tackle from Girvan Dempsey keeps Czekaj, who chipped over the top with great aplomb, from scoring in the left corner.
Second Half: Kick-Off: Good start to the second period from Ireland. Jones kicks off, Wallace gathers it and O’Gara finds a good touch, just past the halfway line.
Half-Time: Kelvin Deaker blows for half-time – lots to reflect on in both dressing rooms. Join us for the second half shortly.
38 mins: Hickie, now wearing a scrum cap, and Ryan Jones have both returned to the fray. O’Driscoll is increasing his influence, but a couple of knock-ons from the captain rob Ireland of possession. Just a bit more control from O’Sullivan’s charges and they could have got in for a third try before the break.
33 mins: IRELAND TRY! Great stuff from Ireland – Murphy flings up a garryowen and fields the ball brilliantly, David Wallace carries forward off the ruck, Peter Stringer then links with Murphy as the ball is moved out to the right and a long pass from D’Arcy sees O’Driscoll dance past a tackle and lunge over past Morgan to score – that is the Irish skipper’s 29th Test try. O’Gara sends over a confidence-building conversion from the touchline. Wales 9 Ireland 12.
32 mins: Blow for Wales as Ryan Jones is forced off with blood streaming from a facial wound – Gavin Thomas has been sprung from the bench. 29 mins: Errors are creeping into the Irish game – an O’Gara restart kick goes out on the full and the Munster out-half has further bad luck, just moments later, as he slices a clearance kick away to the left.
25 mins: WALES PENALTY! Jones knocks an easy shot through the uprights after the latest infringement from the Irish. A bloodied Denis Hickie will have to get bandaged up and Geordan Murphy, winning his 45th cap, has been introduced. Wales 9 Ireland 5.
23 mins: Waves of Welsh attacks, with Peel and Jones dictating the play, sees Ireland forced to infringe at a ruck near their own try line. The visitors are fortunate not to have received a yellow card so far, with Wales upping the tempo in the last 10 minutes.
19 mins: WALES PENALTY! Donncha O’Callaghan is pinged for stopping a Welsh drive illegally after clever play from Dwayne Peel and a beautiful chip and chase from Kevin Morgan. Jones thumps the left-sided kick through the posts as the improving Dragons take the lead. Wales 6 Ireland 5.
15 mins: O’Gara has neither the distance or the accuracy as he is wayward with a lengthy penalty attempt from the right. Prop Chris Horsman offered Ireland the chance after pulling down a maul.
11 mins: D’Arcy shrugs off his early injury worry, bursting past the tackles of Stephen Jones and Alun Wyn Jones on a great run. Play ends up near the home side’s posts before James Hook does well to clear the danger.
10 mins: WALES PENALTY! Best fails to find his man at the lineout, the ball loops over the top and Martyn Williams gathers it – the next phases sees Stephen Jones gain ground and hands in the ruck from Ireland sees Jones pop over his first penalty of the afternoon. Wales 3 Ireland 5.
7 mins: An uncharacteristic knock-on by O’Driscoll allows Wales a good attacking platform. James Hook and Jamie Robinson combine to put Hal Luscombe into space on the right flank, but the Irish defensive is strong and Wales cough up a penalty at subsequent ruck – holding on.
3 mins: Worrying signs as Gordon D’Arcy is down getting treatment for a hamstring injury. The game’s first scrum, a Welsh put-in, sees Ireland defend well with Leamy and David Wallace putting a good hit on Ryan Jones.
1 minute: IRELAND TRY! The perfect start for Ireland – a second Test try for hooker Rory Best. Denis Leamy gathers in a kick from Jones, the ball is switched out to Peter Stringer whose deft kick over towards the right corner is taken by Chris Czekaj. The Welsh full-back passes back to Jones who has his clearance kick charged down and the bounce of the ball allows Best to gobble it up and plunge over for a try after only 47 seconds! O’Gara’s conversion attempt tails away to the left. Wales 0 Ireland 5.
Kick-Off: Ronan O’Gara gets the game underway, with Ryan Jones fielding the kick for Wales.
3.02pm: The anthems are over, it’s time for kick-off and the start of Ireland’s 2007 odyssey. C’mon Ireland!
2.57pm: A great reception for both teams as first Ireland, led by Brian O’Driscoll on the occasion of his 70th cap, and then the hosts, captained by Stephen Jones, take to the pitch. Amongst the watching crowd are An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Prince William.
2.55pm:: The final strains of ‘Bread Of Heaven’ ring out around the ground as the atmosphere builds towards the 112th meeting between Wales and Ireland – the Dragons have won 61 of the previous clashes, while Ireland boast 44 victories.
2.44pm: It is a cold day in Cardiff, despite the sunshine. The roof is off for this tie and both squads are out warming-up, watched pensively by their coaches Gareth Jenkins and Eddie O’Sullivan. The pitch is a newly-laid one and the players have been eager to test the turf out with their studs.
Pre-Match: Hello and welcome to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for IrishRugby.ie’s coverage of today’s Six Nations clash between Wales and pre-tournament favourites, Ireland. Sit tight for what is sure to be a thrilling afternoon’s rugby. You can also click on our MatchDayLive link at the bottom of the homepage for score updates and audio coverage.
Ireland have a proud recent record in Cardiff, despite their 32-20 loss on their last visit in 2005. That has been the men in green’s only defeat in the Welsh capital since 1983.
WALES: Kevin Morgan; Hal Luscombe, Jamie Robinson, James Hook, Chris Czekaj; Stephen Jones (capt), Dwayne Peel; Gethin Jenkins, Rhys Thomas, Chris Horsman, Ian Gough, Alun Wyn Jones, Alix Popham, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones.
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Duncan Jones, Robert Sidoli, Gavin Thomas, Mike Phillips, Ceri Sweeney, Aled Brew.
IRELAND: Girvan Dempsey; Andrew Trimble, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Gordon D’Arcy, Denis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Rory Best, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.
Replacements: Jerry Flannery, Simon Best, Neil Best, Mick O’Driscoll, Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace, Geordan Murphy.
Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)
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