Ireland vs Wales LIVE: Six Nations rugby final score and result as Andrew Conway strikes twice
Follow all the reaction live from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin
Ireland eased past reigning champions Wales 29-7 in the opening game of the Six Nations championship in Dublin on Saturday, picking up where they left off in November with a comfortable victory.
Ireland looked every inch one of the tournament favourites when they roared out of the blocks in the same manner that toppled New Zealand three months ago but still needed a second half burst to put the injury-hit visitors out of sight.
“It’s never going to be perfect in your first game but we’ve got everything to play for and we know there’s a massive test ahead next week,” captain Johnny Sexton said in a pitchside interview, referring to next week’s trip to France.
It took Sexton’s men just two minutes to take control. An attacking lineout that has proved so lethal of late was the starting point again with Bundee Aki crossing in the corner, aided by a nice looped pass from debutant winger Mack Hansen.
It felt like only a matter of time before the hosts would score again from hand but a couple of sloppy errors - including Sexton uncharacteristically missing two out of three shots at goal - invited Wayne Pivac’s side back into the game
A predictable attack from a side shorn of 680 caps through injuries to the likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, George North and Taulupe Faletau was comfortably contained by Ireland’s choke tackle defence.
While a better side could punish Ireland later in the tournament for not being clinical enough to extend their lead beyond 10-0 at halftime, Andy Farrell’s side returned in a much more ruthless mood after the interval.
Andrew Conway put Ireland out of sight with two tries either side of a yellow card for makeshift Wales centre Josh Adams, first using every millimetre of his 1.8 metre frame to reach for the corner and simply collecting a pass to add another.
Centre Garry Ringrose snaked through the porous Welsh defence on the hour to make sure of the winning bonus point.
Ireland emptied their bench and with that lost a little bit of concentration, allowing Wales flanker Taine Basham in for a late try that ensured the visitors did not add a scoreless outing to an otherwise miserable afternoon.
The win extended Ireland’s winning run to nine games but they will face an altogether more difficult test in Paris if they are to make it 10 in a row.
Team News - England
After weeks of injury misfortune it is a very different team named by Eddie Jones than the England head coach might have liked, but the Australian still has oodles of ability and versatility throughout his 23. With first and second choice captains Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes among those ailing, Tom Curry steps up to become England’s youngest captain since Will Carling in 1988, returned to openside flanker after his autumn at eight.
Alongside him in the back-row are the explosive Sam Simmonds and Lewis Ludlam, who will have high workloads. Nick Isiekwe is back in favour and adds significant spring and lineout ability without Lawes and Jonny Hill, with Isiekwe promoted above bench stalwart Charlie Ewels.
Behind the scrum there is plenty of fizz – Marcus Smith’s sizzle stands out but he is an underrated game manager who will need to get the basics right in inclement conditions on Six Nations debut. There are distributors and pace aplenty throughout a backline formed of interchangeable pieces. Elliot Daly starts at outside centre for the first time since 2016; Freddie Steward’s pillar solidity at the back may be key, even on his first away international start.
On the bench, a couple of high-profile returnees: George Ford has earned a recall after Farrell’s injury after outstanding Premiership form and could be an ideal closer if England nudge ahead in the final quarter, while Jack Nowell has slimmed down slightly and is back in a matchday squad for the first time in a while after such injury woe.
England: 15-Steward, 14-Malins, 13-Daly, 12-Slade, 11-Marchant; 10-Smith, 9-Youngs; 1-Genge, 2-Cowan-Dickie, 3-Sinckler, 4-Itoje, 5-Isiekwe, 6-Ludlam, 7-T. Curry (capt), 8-Simmonds
Replacements: 16-George, 17-Marler, 18-Stuart, 19-Ewels, 20-Dombrandt, 21-Randall, 22-Ford, 23-Nowell
Team News - Scotland
It is a reasonably settled Scottish side named by Gregor Townsend, with plenty of familiar faces back with boosted confidence after ending the Twickenham hoodoo 12 months ago. Stuart Hogg, so outstanding last year, captains the side from full-back while Sam Johnson keeps his autumn place at inside centre with Cameron Redpath only recently returned from injury. Johnson’s partnership with defensive general Chris Harris has grown into a real strength.
Up front, Scott Cummings is another who has not had ideal preparation so it is Grant Gilchrist alongside Jonny Gray in the second row. Neither of the British and Irish Lion props Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson were entirely certain of their places, a mark of Scotland’s developed depth, but again combine with George Turner. Jamie Richie and Hamish Watson will again test England in all facets, but perhaps most significantly at the breakdown, where there are few better pairings.
Stoke-born London Irish scrum-half Ben White is a slightly surprising inclusion among the substitutes but will in all likelihood make a debut, while Blair Kinghorn provides useful back-of-all-trades cover, developing at fly-half to complement his more refined appearances in the back three.
Scotland: 15-Hogg, 14-Graham, 13-Harris, 12-Johnson, 11-Van der Merwe, 10-Russell, 9-Price; 1-Sutherland, 2-Turner, 3- Z. Fagerson, 4-J. Gray, 5- Gilchrist, 6-Ritchie, 7-Watson, 8-M. Fagerson
Replacements: 16-McInally, 17-Schoeman, 18-Nel, 19-Skinner, 20-Bradbury, 21-White, 22-Kinghorn, 23-Tuipulotu
England and Scotland renew Six Nations rivalry in defining Murrayfield clash
A year after ending their Twickenham hoodoo, England coach Eddie Jones believes that Scotland are “red-hot favourites” to retain the Calcutta Cup. Jamie Braidwood tees up the latest meeting between international rugby’s oldest rivals and the individual battle that could decide it:
England and Scotland renew Six Nations rivalry in defining Murrayfield clash
The opening weekend of the Six Nations sees England and Scotland meet while in different stages of their development – victory would be pivotal to both
On to Scotland vs England...
We’ll have plenty more reaction and analysis from Ireland’s opening win against Wales this evening and over the next few days, but action in the second game of the Six Nations is rather swiftly approaching.
It’s time for the Calcutta Cup!
Johnny Sexton speaks to ITV about Ireland’s win
“Thankfully the rain stayed away for the most part. The second half we had the breeze behind us and we could use it to our advantage.
“It is never going to be perfect in your first game and it wasn’t today. We will pick apart the performance as always. We’ve got everything to play for and that is where you want to be in this competition. We’ve got a massive test next week - to go to Paris and get a result is incredibly difficult. A lot of teams in this tournament are going in with their confidence up after good Novembers and I think France are in a good place.”
Ireland 29-7 Wales
I thought Garry Ringrose was outstanding - the manner in which the centre and Johnny Sexton combine in attack is so effective, and Wales never really managed to shut down their options today. As ever, plenty of impressive stuff from the forwards, particularly at the line.
FT: Ireland 29-7 Wales
A fine start to the 2022 Six Nations for Ireland, picking up where they left off in the autumn with an early score and rarely troubled thereafter. While some first-half inaccuracies in advanced territories may be a slight frustration, they were defensively stout throughout and consistently able to unlock the Welsh defence with a typically diverse and dangerous attack.
A bonus point win and on to a potentially massive meeting with France in Paris.
FULL TIME: IRELAND 29-7 WALES
Ireland 29-7 Wales, 83 minutes
Finally, that will be that, as Mack Hansen is dragged down on the left and Ireland can’t keep the ball infield and alive. An incredibly impressive start for Ireland, who have made reasonably light work of dispatching this wounded Welsh side.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments