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.
Ireland 29-0 Wales, 64 minutes
Now Johnny Sexton takes leave, with Joey Carbery on for the Ireland captain.
And that’s a good start - a clipped kick of perfect weight, like an eight-iron for the green set to land within a metre of the touchline. Josh Adams slides to try and gather it but his momentum carries the centre into touch. Ireland will have the lineout throw.
Ireland 29-0 Wales, 63 minutes
The benches continue to empty with Dan Sheehan and James Hume on for their first Six Nations appearances in Irish green. That’s an international debut for the impressive centre Hume, who has stood out at Ulster this year.
Josh Adams is back with us and reintroduces himself rather unpleasantly to the ribs of Caelan Doris, forcing the ball free, but a Wales carrier is isolated and Ireland win a turnover penalty.
TRY! IRELAND 29-0 Wales (Garry Ringrose try, 60 minutes)
And just like that...
Ireland almost immediately rip the ball free from Welsh hands after the next lineout, and there are great open expanses for the outside backs as they shift it to the right.
Andrew Conway is screaming for a pass as he eyes a hat-trick but Garry Ringrose does not need his wing, scorching his own trail on the outside of desperate Welsh defenders who can’t cling on, grasping hands falling off his pumping thighs as the outside centre torrefies the damp Dublin turf and slides over.
Johnny Sexton’s conversion is ugly, but Ireland have that bonus point score and are beginning to charge.
Ireland 24-0 Wales, 58 minutes
A scrum penalty will allow Ireland to return to the left corner as they draw their spears and prepare to hunt a bonus point try...
Not this time! Caelan Doris is over-excited and squeezes past James Ryan before the lifted lineout player can come to floor and form the maul. He is penalised, and Wales survive - for now.
Ireland 24-0 Wales, 57 minutes
There are Welsh hands on heads as Liam Williams drops the ball at the end of another reasonably toothless amble in attack, still a player short of their opponents. About two minutes left on Josh Adams’ yellow card, by the way.
Gareth Davies replaces Tomos Williams at scrum-half.
Ireland 24-0 Wales, 56 minutes
And that’s another disappointing moment for Dewi Lake in his opening international skirmishes, asked to throw a tough dart to the back of a lineout. It wobbles on the wind and into Irish hands.
Ireland 24-0 Wales, 55 minutes
Dewi Lake has plenty of mass and Wales try to use him down the five-metre channel at the front of the lineout, but Jamison Gibson-Park stands strong to the challenge of the considerably bigger man, stalling him to allow an Irishman of greater heft to T-bone him into touch.
Ireland 24-0 Wales, 53 minutes
Changes from both sides, with Finlay Bealham (for Tadhg Furlong) and Peter O’Mahony (for Jack Conan) into the game for Ireland. Dewi Lake gets a debut at hooker for Wales, relieving Ryan Elias, and it looks like Gareth Thomas is amongst things alongside him in the front row, which means Wyn Jones is off.
In fact, it’s a whole new front row for Wales: Tomas Francis has also trundled off, replaced by Dillon Lewis. Welcome, too, to Ross Moriarty - Ellis Jenkins is the last of the leavers.
Can the bench get Wales back in it?
TRY! IRELAND 24-0 Wales (Andrew Conway try, 51 minutes)
This time Andrew Conway strolls in! It’s beautifully intricate play from Ireland to set it up, swift hands out to Conway on the right who carries hard.
Tadhg Beirne fixes the defence with his eyes and pops the ball on for back five colleague Josh van der Flier, who produces a trademark burst against the centre. Ireland then bash against locked doors for four phases but that narrows the Welsh defence, and a simple catch-and-pass drill affords Conway the simplest of scores in the right corner.
Johnny Sexton again rides the wind superbly from the tee.
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