Six Nations: Ireland and Wales play out thrilling draw

Ireland 16 Wales 16

Ireland and Wales don't do dull, and don't do predictable, and so it continued in this entertaining Six Nations opener at the Aviva Stadium, which fairly throbbed for a Sunday fixture. Indeed, this was only the countries' fifth draw in 124 clashes.

Not surprisingly, there wasn't a huge shift toward a wide attacking game or daring use of the offload, but nonetheless this was still attacking Joe Schmidt rugby, based on dynamic carrying, ferocious clearing out and a high tempo.

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No-one typified the willingness of Irish runners to carry hard and flat into the red brick wall than CJ Stander, not unexpectedly, took to Test rugby and took the game to Wales with enthusiasm, belting out Amhrán na bhFiann and making 23 carries for 40 metres.

Jamie Heaslip, it should be noted, was credited with the same yardage from 14, and like Jack McGrath, chipped in with 16 tackles. And furthermore, no-one characterised the tight five's workrate and execution at the breakdown in driving low and shunting Welshmen back off the ball than McGrath.

Tommy O’Donnell too had a fine game before going off for a Head Injury Assessment, one that Schmidt confirmed he passed. Schmidt said Keith Earls may have suffered a concussion, which would put him in real doubt for the trip to Paris with a six-day turnaround.

In the backline, Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton were back to their best, there was a balance to the midfield and Simon Zebo mixed the sublime with the ridiculous.

But after earning a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, Ireland were placed under tremendous pressure. Their scrum creaked, but recovered after haf-time, when they put their bodies continually on the line and pushed up hard as Wales sought to pummel them into submission in time-honoured fashion. For Wales Taulupe Falatau was sensational, and Jamie Roberts had a fine game, as did Alun Wyn Jones, although he looked groggy at one stage.

The forecast proved blissfully, thankfully incorrect, as Sexton kicked off in conditions bordering on pleasant rather than biblical. Sexton’s kick-off had a significant impact too, as Dan Biggar gathered and emerged from the ensuing ruck hobbling. His left ankle was soon strapped heavily and he barely limped on to the end of the first quarter, missing a kickable penalty along the way.

Ireland’s bright, accurate, positive start bore all the hallmarks of a well-prepared side, as Zebo did enough from the first box kick by Gareth Davies to earn a scrum. Although under pressure, Heaslip did enough to get off the base and from there Ireland went through 17 phases. Stander carried three times, and although Wales put their bodies on the line, the hard running and quick clean-outs kept pushing them back until Jonathan Davies was offside and Sexton opened the scoring.

When Wales went through 13 or so phases, they attacked wider out, and twice created a potentially extra man, only for Earls and Andrew Trimble to make man-and-ball tackles on Liam Williams and Alun Wyn Jones to prevent try-scoring transfer to the Welsh wingers.

Devin Toner picked up a spillage and ran the ball out of defence, Ireland going wide to Zebo off the recycle but, alas, Earls trailed the fullback when he looked for the pass off his break. Even so, they went through another 15 phases before Roberts was penalised for not rolling away. Sexton made it 6-0.

After Biggar’s miss, his replacement, Rhys Priestland, fumbled a pass from Gareth Davies and when the latter’s clearance kick was brilliantly charged down by Toner – stretching every sinew of his tall frame – Priestland conceded an attacking line-out.

Ireland faked the maul, Stander spinning off infield and after a charge by O’Donnell, Stander looked to be over the line but Justin Tipuric did enough to obscure the grounding. Undaunted, Ireland kept coming, Robbie Henshaw carrying hard off the scrum, Heaslip and McGrath taking it on before Murray dummied off the base – Tipuric buying it – and Samson Lee couldn’t prevent the try.

Three visits to the Welsh 22, three scores and 13-0. This was clinical stuff.

Little mistakes and one significant penalty decision shifted the balance in power, as Jérôme Garcès adjudicarted Earls was guilty of a tip tackle on Liam Williams, when the latter (a late replacement for Gareth Anscombe and completing his first full 80 minutes since May last year) clearly jumped and twisted in looking for an offload before Earls then released him.

Priestland opened Wales’ account before Murray compounded an earlier touch kick out on the full by Zebo by doing likewise. Wales went wide again, Jonathan Davies grubbering through for Tipuric to force Trimble to concede a five-metre scrum.

A third scrum penalty and probable penalty try was only averted by the ball skewing out of the Welsh scrum for Faletau to charge at Sexton and also take O’Donnell’s tackle and touch down adroitly. Preistland made it 13-10 at the break.

Wales resumed where they left off and although Priestland was wide with a 45-metre drop goal and Ireland’s tacklers again met Welsh runners full-on after Alun Wyn Jones claimed the drop out, O’Donnell was pinged for going off his feet for Priestland to draw the sides level.

Back came Ireland, as the game continued to ebb and flow. Heaslip rumbled off Payne’s inside pass, and O’Donnell also pumped his legs to generate go-forward ball. Priestland might have been carded as well as pinged for his one-handed knockdown of Payne’s pass and Ireland eschewed the penalty to go up the line. But after a big lineout maul, Stander had the ball ripped from him by Jonathan Davies and when Zebo’s brilliant counter and Murray’s support trailer, Stander again lost the ball in contact after picking up from the base when Ireland looked to have numbers out wide.

Roberts’s high hit on Henshaw infuriated the crowd but went unpenalised. Scott Baldwin knocked when Wales had worked an overlap before the Irish backs put together a well-executed set move, sweeping behind decoys with Sexton as third receiver to sprint through the gap. His long left to right pass found Trimble, but Tom James made a superb covering tackle to take Trimble over the touchline.

Earls and Payne then botched a switch move on the opposite flank, before Wales attacked through a phenomenal energy-sapping 28 phases. They weren’t going anywhere, Irish line speed and impact in the tackle knocking carriers backwards.

To thunderous roars, Heaslip briefly won a turnover, but somehow, with his act, Warburton counter-rucked and McGrath, standing in at scrumhalf, was penalised for holding on. It seemed cruel. Priestland nudged Wales in front for the first time only for Lloyd Williams, with his first act, to botch a box kick, ensnaring a truckload of team-mates offside, and Sexton drew the sides level, just, with a 40-metre penalty for Ireland’s first points in 47 minutes. Soon after though, he departed with what looked like an injury to his sternum.

Under the kosh again after Priestland miscued a drop goal attempt, Ireland were indebted to Payne and Trimble executing a choke tackle on Liam Williams. Ireland attacked off the scrum in their own half, going through 10 phases as Zebo nearly broke throough before Liam Williams re-gathered a Payne grubber and Wales tried from deep.

The crowd held their breath rather than cheered through this nervy endgame. Both kept trying to win right deep into overtime. Ultimately, neither team deserved to lose.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 5 mins Sesxton pen 3-0; 14 mins Sexton pen 6-0; 27 mins Murray try, Sexton con 13-0; 32 mins Priestland pen 13-3; 38 mins Faletau try, Priestland con 13-10; (half-time 13-10); 46 mins Priestland pen 13-13; 73 mins Pristland pen 13-16; 74 mins Sexton pen 16-16.

IRELAND: S Zebo (Munster); A Trimble (Ulster), J Payne (Ulster), R Henshaw (Connacht), K Earls (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); J McGrath (Leinster), R Best (Ulster, capt), N White (Connacht); D Toner (Leinster), M McCarthy ( Leinster); CJ Stander, T O'Donnell (both Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: R Ruddock (Leinster) for O'Donnell (49 mins), T Furlong (Leinster) for White, D Ryan (Munster) for McCarthy (both 63 mins), D Kearney (both Leinster) for Earls (71 mins), S Cronin (Leinster) for Best, I Madigan (Leinster) for Sexton (both 75 mins). Not used: J Cronin (Munster), K Marmion (Connacht).

WALES: Liam Williams (Scarlets); G North (Northampton), J Davies (Clermont Auvergne), J Roberts (Harlequins), T James (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Ospreys), G Davies (Scarlets); R Evans (Scarlets), S Baldwin (Ospreys), S Lee (Scarlets); L Charteris (Racing 92), A-W Jones (Ospreys); S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: R Priestland (Bath) for Biggar (22 mins), , G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues) for Evans (53 mins), T Francis (Exeter) for Lee (58 mins), B Davies (Wasps) for Charteris (62 mins), K Owens (Scarlets) for Baldwin (64 mins), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues) for G Davies (72 mins), D Lydiate (Ospreys) for Warburton (73 mins). Not used: A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues).

Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France).

Attendance: 51,700