Positives:
+ Jonathan Davies. All the pre-match talk was about Jamie Roberts and Rhys Priestland, but Davies quietly went about business and delivered a stunning performance. I could have put Davies in with all the Welsh backs (see below), but I thought his performance deserved a special mention. He had great awareness, constantly looking for gaps in the Irish defence, and his support play was near immaculate. He fully deserved his two scores, and was unlucky to not be awarded man of the match. It also served to prove that teams shouldn't just worry about the power of Roberts, and take note of the Scarlets man.
+ The Welsh back line looked very creative, led superbly by man of the match Mike Phillips. Each player contributed something to every play and whereas not long ago Wales would have squandered in front of goal, they were ruthless, scoring three tries at relative easy. This has to put a smile on many die-hard Wales fan's face. George North tormented the Irish with absolute power and clinical running, and Rhys Priestland, though very iffy with the boot, straightened plays when necessary, and was a reassuring presence when he had his hands on the ball.
+ Wales' game management was very impressive. They never rushed any of their plays, and were careful when on the ball. This especially rang true in the last five minutes, as even though they were down by a score, they never looked worried, and nor did they try and force the play. With such a young squad, this level of maturity is extremely rare, and a valuably asset to Wales' title hopes.
Negatives:
- Wales' discipline could be their Achilles heel. We saw it in the World Cup against France, and yet again Wales toiled at the hands of a silly sin-binning. How Bradley Davies did not get a red card is baffling (yet again see below), and with it, Wales conceded a try and five points. This could have easily been another five had the usually immaculate Jonathan Sexton been more accurate with the boot from the conversion and a penalty. As shown on the BBC yesterday, Wales concede on average almost 8 points with every sin-binning, which is 3 points more than the next worst team Italy. This has to change, and fast, or Wales will be the perennial nearly-men.
- The tip-tackle rule needs clarifying to both the referees and the players. Yesterday, both tips went punished with yellow cards, but they couldn't have been any more different. Davies was totally ludicrous, what he was thinking only he will know, but he will wake up this morning knowing he was lucky to not be red-carded. It was the worst tip-tackle I have ever seen, and should've been more harshly punished. Rightfully, Davies has been cited, and should be banned. Though this will hamper Wales further, it is the only right decision. Ferris' on the other hand was a far more controlled affair. Yes it was a tip, which by the letter of the law is a penalty, but there was no malice, and no element of danger in the tackle. I am all for the punishment of tip tackling - it is an unnecessary form of tackle that sets a poor example of the game to the viewing public, especially youngsters getting started in the game. But there needs to be clarification between the varying degrees of a tip-tackle. Both sides of the spectrum were evidenced yesterday, and yet both were punished exactly the same. The IRB need to clarify this to avoid games, and in the worst case scenario, player's careers, being ruined.
- Wales' kicking from the tee still continues to pose problems. First Hook, then Jones, and now it seems Priestland has caught the bug. He missed all three of his attempts, and two were very straightforward. Fortunately Wales seem to have no end of kicking "talent", but still, consistency is key! I have never thought Priestland was the strongest kicker Wales have ever had, and I know people will argue that then why should we include him at 10? But I feel that Priestland should be Wales' number 10 due to his intelligence and strength on the ball. He gives Wales direction that not even Stephen Jones could, and he is definitely my pick for that spot.
Uncertainties
? Wales' line-out. On one had, when it works effectively, we can score tries directly from the play. On the other hand, we can give possession away easily in our own 22, and concede heavily. I think retaining Huw Bennett (who won his 50th cap on Sunday) is vital, as he is the most able and consistent hooker Wales have had for a decade. We just need to improve the communication slightly at the line, though it could be argued that without our first choice second-rowers, it was inevitable that some problems would ensue.
So overall, it was a thrilling match, and the Irish most definitely played their part. They gave Wales a right match, and will be disappointed to have not come away with the victory. However, it was a very reassuring performance from Wales, and should give everyone a belief that our injury woes won't hamper us for a decent shot at the championship. I think a triple-crown could be on the cards, though I still see beating France as a push too far. England's performance suggested that they are still fallable, and we should expect to beat Italy and Scotland at home. Hopefully Warburton's injury is not too serious, and we can keep the momentum going into next week's game. If this is Wales at only 70%, according to Gatland, then I am excited for even more skill to come for the rest of the 6 Nations.
Final Score: Wales 23 - Tries: J.Davies (2), North. Convs: Halfpenny. Pens: Halfpenny (2)
Ireland 21 - Tries: Best, Bowe. Convs: Sexton. Pens: Sexton (3)
Dewch ar Cyrmu!
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