An intelligent and committed approach to a stiff breeze and a canny Welsh side set up Ireland for the prospect of the Triple Crown when they gained a 13-6 win at the Sports Grounds, Galway, on Saturday. Ireland now meet England in Wolverhampton next weekend in the deciding fixture.
A tremendous front-eight game, particularly in the second half, gave Ireland the edge when Wales turned with the wind on their backs and threw everything they had at the robust Irish cover.
Big tackles from the second and back-row forwards Dermot O'Loughlin, Andrew Hughes, Alan Hickey, Paul O'Connell and Des Dillon as Wales pressed to pull back the 13 points they had conceded in the first half, emphasised the resolve that should not fail to generate confidence when the Irish face a bigger English side. "Against Scotland we played within ourselves and that was enough," said coach Keith Patton. "Today we had more learning to do. It was faster and more lively and I think we showed a greater need to win the game. That was a good Welsh side we beat." The accurate kicking of out-half Andrew Dunne set up Ireland in the corners on at least five occasions in the first half, but for a time it looked frustratingly as though they might fail to capitalise on the enormous territorial advantage.
Derek McCombe had landed his two kicks from close-in and then long range in the fifth and 12th minutes to earn an early lead but Ireland desperately needed a double figure score to enter the second period with their minds at ease.
The opportunity presented itself with just seven minutes to spare. A line-out inside the Wesh 22 on the left was won by Paul O'Connell and the ball quickly spun out to full-back Gordon D'Arcy. At full pace D'Arcy met the pass, broke the first tackle and showed a clean pair of heels to the remaining Welsh defenders.
McCombe's conversion for 13-0 was a slim enough Irish margin given the ferocity of the elements and from the outset of the second half, Wales put the home side under pressure. Kicks of 60 metres were not difficult in the conditions.
Out-half Luke Richards kicked a penalty after six minutes and followed it with a second some 20 minutes later to take the score to 13-6.
But Ireland were showing a greater appetite for adversity than Wales had shown in the first 40 minutes. Quicker to support grounded ball and quickly up on their men as the nippy Welsh midfielders and wingers threw the ball around with flair, Ireland simply swamped their opposition despite the loss of hooker Gavin Ryan just after half-time.
The nearest Wales came was in the 57th minute when full-back Richard Johnson met a popped ball at pace and tried to gain the four metres to the Irish line. At least two green shirts grounded him. The line typically remained intact. Johnson left the pitch with a bloodied nose.
Scoring sequence: 5 mins: McCombe penalty, 3-0; 12: McCombe penalty, 6-0; 33: D'Arcy try, McCombe penalty 13-0; 46: Richards penalty, 13-3; 64: Richards penalty, 13-6.
Ireland: G D'Arcy (Clongowes); J Norton (St Mary's), K Lewis (St Mary's), R Miliken (Bangor Grammar), D McCombe (RBAI); A Dunne (Belvedere), D Spence (Wallace HS); N Brady (Royal Dungannon), G Ryan (Clongowes), N Treston (Blackrock), D Wilson (Clongowes), P O'Connell (Ard Scoil Ris), A Hickey (CBC Cork), A Hughes (Royal Dugannon, capt.), D O'Loughlin (Cistercian Roscrea). Replacement: R Hanson (St Mary's) for Ryan (54 mins).
Wales: R Johnson (Neath); J Walker (Cross Keys), T Williams (Cowbridge, capt), L Banfield (Swansea), D Brown (St David's); L Richards (Neath), R Powell (Pontypool and USK); I Jones (Tredegar CS), S Nelson (Cardiff HS), G Powell (Llandovery), J Batter (Brynteg CS), M Griffen (Pontypool and USK), A Chiffi (Greenhill), P Wheeler (Pencoed C.S.), M Owen (Bryncelynnog CS). Replacements: G Woods (CWM Carn School) for Powell (65), R Williams (Cross Keys College) for Wheeler (71), J Simpson (Ysgol Llanbarri) for Griffen (78).
Referee: T Spreadbury (England).
