Updated
A draw is probably a fair result. Momentum swung back and forth, with neither side really able to put their foot on the other’s throat. Both sides were oddly similar to England yesterday, very tenacious in defence and lacking a spark in attack, gamely as they tried.
That’s the end of round one then. OK the rugby has been no better than “mildly encouraging”, but it’s impossible to pick a team that looks a great deal better or a great deal worse than the rest. And that’s a good thing!
Cheers for reading folks. Do join us again next weekend.
Updated
Full-time: Ireland 16-16 Wales
Wales run from their own 22, Liam Williams taking it up to the 10 metre line. He’s wrapped up and Murray rips the ball clear, but walks it into touch.
We’re well inside Irish territory so they, rather than Wales have to be wary of conceding a penalty here. Wales’ defence is solid, so Payne kicks through and now Wales are going to go for it!
80 min The host broadcaster has named CJ Stander man of the match. It’s a good shout, though Jack McGrath, Connor Murray, Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies are all contenders. Ireland run it from the scrum, chancing it as they look for the win...
79 min Kicked long from Madigan and North fields it with his boot. Wales will have to go from halfway now, blasting away at the defence then going left and Liam Williams takes it into contact. He’s held up by Murray and the maul is formed. Scrum Ireland!X
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78 min Right they come and North makes ground into the 22. Back inside then wide left again with Roberts and Faletau carrying it on. Back to Priestland from 35 metres... and his drop-goal effort is well wide of the left-hand post. He snatched at it a bit.
77 min Won by Jones but then Roberts is driven back in the tackle in midfield. They go right to North who hares down the line and looks to offload back inside, but it’s into the hands of Murray. Zebo’s kick is poor though and Wales come back down the left, Liam Williams kicking through and forcing Murray to mop up right back in his own corner. They recycle and Murray clears to Liam Williams.
76 min Ireland secure the restart and Murray clears to Liam Williams, who returns with a high one of his own. Trimble calls the mark inside his 22. Back to Sexton and he clears to touch. Best and Sexton are off, Sean Cronin and Ian Madigan on.
Penalty (Sexton 75) Ireland 16-16 Wales
It’s not his cleanest strike, but Ireland won’t care a jot. It creeps inches inside the right-hand post!
73 min Wales bring Lydiate on for Warburton. Lloyd Williams puts up a poor box kick and though Murray knocks on, Francis was offside. Sexton from the 10 metre line, just to the left, to level it.
Penalty! (Priestland 73) Ireland 13-16 Wales
This is a massive kick, wide on the right and a good 45 metres with the angle I’d say. It’s a brilliant one though and Wales lead for the first time!
Updated
Earls, G Davies off; D Kearney, Lloyd Williams on.
72 min But Warburton immediately counterrucks and wins it back for Wales! They get the penalty for holding on!
71 min North is back on his feet and in the game; he might have just been winded earlier. Wales are back outside the 22 now. We’ve gone through 28 phases and then at the 29th Heaslip rips the ball!
70 min Wales keep it in the forwards but Ryan and Furlong drive Francis back towards the 22.
69 min Wales might consider the drop-goal here. Tipuric carries on into the 22 and Ireland are on the retreat though. 16 phases now.
68 min Wales pick and go through the phases down the right, but McGrath drives them back with another good counterruck. Ireland have slowed it down well and North looks to be hurt on the right.
67 min Kicked back and forth then Ireland put width on it, but Earls pass goes behind Payne who had come outside of him. Ken Owen’s throw is taken down and it’s popped inside to North in the middle. On they go with Jenkins making ground down the left. Wales 30 out now.
66 min Henshaw is scragged on halfway but Ireland retain it and Stander gets the legs pumping again before Sexton chips over. Stander has carried really well on his debut.
65 min Oh what a break! Sexton on the angle goes between Roberts and Sexton before firing a fine pass out to Trimble 22 metres out. Tom James, though, gets back and takes his man out with a fine covering tackle. Priestland boots to Trimble on halfway after Wales win the lineout.
64 min With Murray having treatment to his neck, Sexton puts it into touch near the Welsh 10 metre line. Furlong and Ryan come on for White and McCarthy. Owens for Baldwin for Wales.
63 min Ireland and Best are in trouble at the scrum. They just about regain the ball through McGrath and go left, then back inside. Stander knocks on but Wales go offside at the ruck and concede a penalty.
62 min Wales are making ground, ever so slowly, with some nice hands going back and forth along the... oh no as I write that Baldwin knocks on under little pressure. Bradley Davies is on for Charteris. That’s a 50th cap for the Wasps lock, who becomes the third Davies on the pitch.
61 min Priestland slices his high kick but North taps it back well for Williams. The 15 chips ahead and is very nearly clean through! Ireland scramble but it’s back on the Welsh side, just inside the Irish half.
60 min A solid scrum for Ireland and they go wide to Zebo, but he can’t shrug off the attention of Jonathan Davies. Knocked on by Trimble when Murray looks to offload off the floor.
58 min Henshaw gets flattened by Roberts. The Irish fans boo but it was perfectly good. Roberts knocked it on though so we have an Irish scrum. Francis on for Lee.
57 min Priestland puts it up high and Earls does well underneath the tumbling ball. Ireland recycle, unwilling to kick but Wales defence is up very well and Sexton gets wrapped up. His team are going backwards, so Zebo has to kick long to Liam Williams. Priestland returns to Murray, who steps away from the fly-half’s chase.
Updated
56 min Apparently Gethin Jenkins is nicknamed Melon for the size of his head. There was a guy I played with who had the same nickname for the same reason. Anyway, Wales get the free-kick at the scrum.
55 min Roberts and Davies both step up from the centre looking for an interception and some fast hands from Sexton gets it past them. There’s a gap there for Zebo, but he’s overrun it and knocks on. Lucky for Wales, who are back on the back foot at the moment.
54 min Well it’s Rob Evans who is going off, Gethin Jenkins on in his stead. Ireland hammer away in midfield from the lineout, slowly creeping towards the 22 but Wales hold firm enough for now.
Matt Dony writes: “In the build-up, much has been made of how settled and experienced this Wales side is. And this is the evidence. 13-0 down away from home is an intimidating place to be, but there was no panic, they’ve just patiently clawed their way back. I’m feeling confident about the campaign.”
53 min That was brilliant defence in the end from Wales. Samson Lee is having a bit of treatment now.
52 min Now Stander and Ruddock carry towards the line as play crabs left, then back right. Couple more phases then great work by Tipuric to force the knock on! It goes back to Priestland on his own dead ball line and the fly-half pumps it miles down the pitch, into touch near halfway.
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51 min Very steady scrum and Faletau picks up at the back. One phase, then Davies box kicks clear to Trimble, who gives it to Zebo and the full back carves through the midfield! Murray goes on and they’re up to within 10.
50 min Toner takes it at the front and Ireland form the maul, a powerful one that drives towards the line. This is more familiar territory for them. It’s well stopped and they go to ground, then Best hammers it up the middle. On they go, but the ball is spilled by Heaslip under pressure from Jonathan Davies. The Wales No13 has been the best player on the pitch today.
Updated
49 min O’Donnell has taken a knock and will go off for an HIA. Rhys Ruddock is on.
48 min Toner taps it down to Murray and Sexton takes it back off Henshaw on the loop. Right they go and Heaslip, then O’Donnell make ground out wide. They recycle it back inside and Priestland stretches for the interception but can’t cling on! Garces, harshly, says deliberate knock on and awards Ireland a penalty, which Sexton kicks to touch on the left 10 metres inside the 22.
47 min Priestland quickly returns the restart with a cracking long kick to touch, midway inside the Ireland half. That’s excellent work from the Bath back.
Penalty (Priestland 47) Ireland 13-13 Wales
Straight through the middle and we’re all square! Wales have hauled themselves back from 13-0 down.
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45 min Stander makes a nuisance of himself at the lineout but Baldwin recovers it on the floor. Slow ball for Wales, who will have wanted to maul that. O’Donnell is penalised for going off his feet and Priestland will have a chance to level the scores from 15m in from the left.
44 min A shallow restart from Sexton, taken by Jones and Wales will plug away again. Jon Davies pops another lovely little grubber through, the ball taking a deflection off Zebo on its way into touch 10 metres out on the Wales left.
43 min James is lifted off his feet and dumped by Earls but perfectly legally. With momentum elusive, Priestland goes for a 40 metre drop goal from wide on the right but sends it floating wide of the near post.
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42 min Wales are attacking from very deep here and Ireland are defending it pretty comfortably. Back and forth along the line they go, making zero ground.
41 min Priestland, who had a shoddy start after coming off the bench but settled very nicely in the end with those two kicks, restarts the match. No changes at half-time. It’s taken by Trimble just outside the 22 and Murray clears, Wales coming back over the 10 metre line. James comes in off his wing then they go left and Priestland gets away with a forward pass. Up to the 22 now.
I swear they’ve made the half-time breaks longer this year. 10 minutes last season, wasn’t it?
The proverbial half of two halves. Ireland looked like they might run away with it when they went 13-0 up with Dan Biggar off and they did play more ambitious rugby than in previous years, with Conor Murray barely box kicking at all. Wales have come back strongly though.
Half-time: Ireland 13-10 Wales
Ireland plug away in midfield following the lineout. Another score for them before half time would very much settle their nerves. Stander makes ground off the 12th phase but holds on and concedes the penalty. That’s that.
40 min Big momentum shift back towards Wales then. G Davies clears long from the restart, finding touch on his own 10 metre line. We have time for one more play.
Also thanks to my dad, who has just pointed out that it was Gordon D’Arcy, not BOD, who referred to Robbie Earl eariler.
Conversion (Priestland 39) Ireland 13-10 Wales
Just to the left of the posts, that’s bread and butter for Priestland and Wales are suddenly right back in it.
Try! (Faletau 38) Ireland 13-8 Wales
You won’t be surprised to hear Wales go for the scrum again. It’s heading over the line but before it can Faletau picks it up and bursts through Conor Murray and over!
Updated
36 min In fact Zebo got a hand to that one in the air to put Williams off. Still, Wales take another scrum. And they get another penalty, although Ireland lasted a bit longer before buckling.
35 min Big scrum from Wales and, with a penalty coming, Davies has a dart. It’s recycled to Priestland, whose beauty of a cross kick finds Williams but the full-back can’t gather it on the dive over the line. Back for the penalty.
34 min Lovely from Jon Davies now, who slips a grubber inside the retreating Trimble for Tipuric to chase. The Irish wing gets back, but Tipuric tackles him back over the line to win a five-metre scrum for Wales.
33 min Sexton with the restart to Gareth Davies, who thumps it back down the pitch. Zeno returns and Priestland gives it to Faletau to carry. From the breakdown they swing it left and Davies slices through for the half break.
Penalty (Priestland 32) Ireland 13-3 Wales
After Brian O’Driscoll refers to Keith Earls as Robbie Earl, Priestland lines up a shot at goal from around 35 metres, wideish on the right. Wales are on the board.
Earls lifted him above the horizontal then let go. Williams landed on his elbow so it’s just a penalty.
31 min Wales go right but Earls dump tackles Williams and wins the turnover. Garces asks the TMO to check that one.
30 min It’s scrappy but Ireland secure lineout ball and Murray boxes clear, but it’s another poor one out on the full.
29 min Ireland take the restart inside the 22 and Murray’s box kick is taken well by Williams, who darts past Zebo down the Wales left. He chips ahead to the 22, but his kick goes out on the full.
Conversion (Sexton 28) Ireland 13-0 Wales
From 15m in from the right, Sexton adds the extras.
Try! (Murray 27) Ireland 11-0 Wales
This is a much better scrum from Ireland and Henshaw has a dart at a 45 degree angle, running from deep. It’s recycled, Murray dummies and snipes through from the back of a ruck!
Updated
Held up. It’ll be a five-metre scrum to Ireland. Garces was initially going to give a penalty for offside against Tipuric, but he was behind the line.
25 min Ireland go quick from the lineout midway inside the 22. Stander peels and charges for the line, dragged down just short. O’Donnell carries it on, then Heaslip. We go to the TMO to see if he got through Tipuric’s tackle to get it down. I’m not sure he did.
24 min Infield it goes to Henshaw, who puts it up in the air for Earls to chase. Overcooked though and the ball bounces into touch. Wales win the lineout through Charteris only for Gareth Davies to see his box kick charged by the 6’10” frame of Toner! Priestland mops up and clears.
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23 min Back left now and Williams steps inside having come into the line at pace once again. Ireland are doing a great job of slowing things up at the breakdown here and Priestland is hit by a massive tackle in midfield! Ireland hack clear and O’Donnell chases down Gareth Davies inside the Welsh half, winning the turnover!
22 min Sexton finds touch on the right just inside his own half as Priestland comes on for Biggar, who took a blow to the ankle right at the start of the match. Wales win the lineout though and get it wide to North, who makes ground with a powerful run down the right. Just outside the 22 now.
21 min Charteris takes it just inside the 22 and Davies crashes it up the middle. Priestland is preparing to come on. Faletau takes it into contact and Henshaw seals it off perfectly, forcing the No8 to hold on and concede the penalty.
20 min Sexton hoofs the restart long to Biggar, who puts it up high and very nearly takes it again, but Murray gathers well. Back it goes to Sexton who feints and darts, but goes into contact. Back to Zebo, who boots it out on the full after it was taken back into the 22. Very poor from the makeshift 15.
19 min It was for not driving straight, the penalty, by the way. Biggar is going to have a crack even with his left ankle heavily strapped, from just outside the 22 and wide on the right. It’s 36m with the angle, a very tough kick and he pushes it wide. He limps back for the restart.
17 min This is a mighty scrum from Wales and they get the penalty.
16 min Williams took a bang to the head there but is carrying on. Wales have moved it right across the pitch but they’re unable to get over the gainline. McGrath counterrucks well to win a turnover but knocks it on.
15 min Biggar had his ankle strapped while Sexton was kicking that. Bad news for Welsh fans, especially if they’ve seen Rhys Priestland play this year. Earls takes the kick off and smacks it into touch on his own 22. That wasn’t great. Charteris wins the line out but gets isolated and McGrath drives him back. They go left quickly and Williams is stopped very well by Trimble.
Penalty (Sexton 14) Ireland 6-0 Wales
On the 22 and 15 in from touch on the left, you would expect a kicker of Sexton’s class to slot this. And he does.
13 min Sexton will go for goal. Wales have made 41/41 tackles so far.
12 min Ireland plug away once again, around 15 metres from the Welsh line. O’Donnell carries it on then they go left to Zebo, who tries to step through a gap. Nothing on for him, but Ireland have the advantage. And indeed get the penalty from Garces, who refereed that quarter-final against Argentina.
11 min Quick ball off the top from Ireland, who have played everything with ball in hand so far. Sexton switches it back left to Henshaw, who is cut down by Tipuric. Ireland recycle and send it right, into the 22 now.
10 min Wales secure it at the front through Charteris midway inside his own 22. Davies boxes clear to touch down the Welsh right.
9 min Turnover and Ireland counter! Zebo goes flying down the middle and looks to put Earls away to his left from 45 metres but Faletau makes a great desperate tackle. Recycled and Zebo grubbers into the corner, giving us all a much needed pause for breath.
Updated
8 min Slow ball for Wales, who are sending their big ball carriers into the line hard. Williams on the right goes by himself but can’t get through. It comes left and there’s an overlap, but AW Jones can’t get the ball away in the tackle from Trimble!
7 min Roberts slips out a tackle in the middle and Wales make more ground. Ireland think they have the turnover but it comes back on the red side and they go left again, with Tom James scuttling on the angle. Williams hits the line from deep but he’s well stopped. 10 metre out now.
6 min Biggar kicks long into the 22 and Payne returns with interest to Liam Williams. Up it goes from the full-back and Biggar regathers beautifully! Left go Wales and Warburton gives it to North, who muscles into the 22 on the left! Great run.
Penalty (Sexton 5) Ireland 3-0 Wales
Sexton caps his good start by kicking the first points of the day.
Updated
4 min Up to 15, 16, 17 phases now and still they plug away. Sexton loops round and pops it to Henshaw, who loses it in contact, but we go back for an Irish penalty for offside. Sexton will go for goal and, from the 22 and 10 metres to the right of goal, he should get this.
3 min Now Sexton is through a gap and into the 22 down the right. Ireland recycle and hammer away at the Welsh defensive line. Stander on debut makes a half break of his own to get to within eight metres and they go left.
2 min First blood Wales as they make a mess of the Irish scrum and Roberts crunches Henshaw in midfield. Ireland retain possession though and Zebo is very nearly through a gap.
PEEEEEEP! At Jerome Garces’s signal, Jonny Sexton gets us under way in Irish drizzle. Into the 22 it goes and James sets it back for Gareth Davies to clear. It’s well chased but the high ball is knocked on by Wales on their own 10 metre line.
Anthems are done. The next entry will be kick-off!
Incidentally, a late Charlie Hodgson penalty gave Saracens a 14-11 win at Exeter.
@DanLucas86 I reckon games on int. weekends are a good thing. They create chances for young players and develop and reward squad depth.
— James Austin (@JamesDAustin) February 7, 2016
I see your point, but there’s the LV Cup for that (admittedly not this year) and the A league.
Yes this is even worse than that old Stade Francais effort.
While we're talking kits @DanLucas86, what the bejesus have England done with their 7s kit? Has someone been sick? pic.twitter.com/WXSGZ6RJzd
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) February 7, 2016
Another favourite shirt nomination. Which we might as well look at with 10 minutes to go.
@DanLucas86 Lions 97 shirt, classic!
— Toniwater (@Toniwater) February 7, 2016
Oh this is really nice.
@DanLucas86 seen the new Sun Wokves super rugby franchise shirt? pic.twitter.com/yjpKqeODkV
— AndyinBrum (@AndyinBrum) February 7, 2016
More sartorial debate, which is now going pretty much one way.
@DanLucas86 Best shirt: @DURFC. Purple, white collar. White shorts, purple socks with white tops. I am biased as I wore it. Don't care.
— Martin Pengelly (@MartinPengelly) February 7, 2016
Yes I’ve seen your Facebook photos, it’s a good kit. Better than the green and red monstrosity I used to wear.
Heh.
Shame on you ITV. Bit of a stereotype to get 3 leprechauns out just cause you're in Dublin! #IREvWAL #6Nations pic.twitter.com/QVsMWf1g93
— Eggchasers Podcast (@RugbyPodcast) February 7, 2016
“Not confident at all today unlike years gone by,” says Ireland fan John McEnerney. “I can see Wales putting 10+ pts on us. 6, 7 & 8 in red are a savage unit!”
Yeah I think this could be a difficult year for Irish rugby, which is clearly in transition. The national side have had a huge player turnover and the clubs are struggling with a more competitive Pro12 now they have to actually qualify for Europe. I think the latter will make them stronger in a couple of years though.
Elsewhere, Exeter currently lead Saracens 11-8. That’s the top two in the Premiership, playing on international weekend, with all the big names missing. This weekend also saw big matches between Gloucester and Bath and Northampton and Harlequins.
There was a similar issue a year ago, when the top three of Northampton, Saracens and Exeter all played each other on international weekends. If they cut the league to 10 teams and ditched the play-offs, this kind of crap wouldn’t happen. It was make for a better quality Championship, too.
My Twitter feed has turned all sartorial. Which leads me to the question: which rugby team has the best shirt? I did like the French one yesterday and I got a very nice Argentina one for my birthday.
@DanLucas86 Scotland? With the tartan and the shorts inner-leg thing that looks like a willy? Nope. England: keeping it as real as possible.
— Martin Pengelly (@MartinPengelly) February 7, 2016
@DanLucas86 Wales by 15. Even though I loathe that silly shirt with the daft gold bits. Tradition, people… https://t.co/C8BqtbN764
— Martin Pengelly (@MartinPengelly) February 7, 2016
Super short shorts. @guardian_sport: Join @DanLucas86 Nations – live! https://t.co/kgh5ER9EQO pic.twitter.com/GHtiz6V15n"
— Queen Lizzy (@kwinlizzy) February 7, 2016
Good cause dept.
Ben Grier, a sports event management student at Manchester Met Uni, is hosting a Slim Jim’s Speakeasy to raise money for Concern Universal. Tell me you don’t want to go to a Speakeasy! Then stop lying and, if you’re about in Manchester on Tuesday, grab yourself some tickets here.
A bit of news on Anscombe, courtesy of Wales Online’s resident Welsh rugby fountain of knowledge, Simon Thomas.
@DanLucas86 @guardian_sport Anscombe will be able to train fully next week
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) February 7, 2016
Thanks!
Breaking news
Gareth Anscombe has withdrawn from today’s match. Liam Williams comes straight into the starting line-up at full-back.
Apparently Anscombe has done his hamstring. No word on how long he’ll be out for, but at a guess he’ll be a doubt for Scotland in Cardiff next weekend.
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Preamble
Afternoon, folks. Quicker than Keyser Söze disappearing in the wind, we’ve reached the end of round one of the 2016 Six Nations. After two reasonably entertaining, but little more, opening fixtures yesterday, this should be the big one.
Ireland are not just the reigning champions, they are a team chasing history. An unprecedented hat-trick of Six Nations titles on the spin. They were the deserving champions in 2014 and 2015 and they have a point to prove. They were fancied by some as possible World Cup finalists, if not winners, but they were sent packing from the quarter-finals of last autumn’s tournament after Argentina took Blondie’s advice...
What’s more, they will want to prove that the next generation can step up. They are without not just the retired Paul O’Connell, but also Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney, all of whom were such crucial members of the championship-winning sides of the last two years. There’s also the fact that their traditional club powerhouses stunk up the European Champions Cup and left the Irish without a quarter-finalist for the first time since 1998.
Wales, on the other hand, are in fine shape. They aren’t the bookies’ favourites for this year’s tournament but that seems slightly ludicrous when all but the most partisan of pundits is tipping them to win their third straight post-World Cup title. OK, their clubs were rubbish in Europe too, but they have been for years and that’s never hurt Warren Gatland’s team.
The 2015 World Cup was a frustrating one for Wales. Word was that Gatland wanted them to play a more expansive game than we’ve seen in recent years, one that would be inspired by the southern hemisphere and bring their deliciously talented backs into play more. The problem was, though, that every single person in Wales who had ever worn double digits on the back of their shirt, be they man, woman or child, managed to get horrifically injured. Or something like that. Anyhow, they were down to the bare bones by the time of their exit and it was impressive how closely they ran Australia and South Africa in their last two matches.
The team picked by Gatland today is arguably the most exciting in years. Leigh Halfpenny is still injured and it’s a real shame that the exciting Liam Williams was not fit enough to make the squad, but a back three of Gareth Anscombe , George North the returning Tom James – a former team-mate of my flatmate, trivia fans – is so, so dangerous and will give Ireland a rough old time if Jonny Sexton continues his recent shoddy form.
It’s also pleasing to see Justin Tipuric called up to partner Sam Warburton at flanker, as the two sevens policy, while difficult to pull off, can make a life a nightmare for the opposition breakdown. Ireland tend to aim to only commit two men to the tackle area and we saw against Argentina what can happen if too many more get sucked in.
Kick-off in Dublin is at 3pm GMT. Here are your teams:
Ireland
15-Simon Zebo, 14-Andrew Trimble, 13-Jared Payne, 12-Robbie Henshaw, 11-Keith Earls, 10-Jonathan Sexton, 9-Conor Murray, 1-Jack McGrath, 2-Rory Best (capt), 3-Nathan White, 4-Mike McCarthy, 5-Devin Toner, 6- CJ Stander, 7-Tommy O’Donnell, 8-Jamie Heaslip
Replacements 16-Sean Cronin, 17-James Cronin, 18-Tadhg Furlong, 19-Donnacha Ryan, 20-Rhys Ruddock, 21-Kieran Marmion, 22-Ian Madigan, 23-Dave Kearney
Wales
15-Liam Williams, 14-George North, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-Tom James, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Gareth Davies; 1-Rob Evans, 2-Scott Baldwin, 3-Samson Lee, 4-Luke Charteris, 5-Alun Wyn Jones, 6-Sam Warburton (capt), 7-Justin Tipuric, 8-Taulupe Faletau
Replacements 16-Ken Owens, 17-Gethin Jenkins, 18-Tomas Francis, 19-Bradley Davies, 20-Dan Lydiate, 21-Lloyd Williams, 22-Rhys Priestland, 23-Alex Cuthbert
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