Ireland left to rue mistakes as Welsh dragon roars back to life

Unsettled, misfiring, an injury and a yellow card colluded to make Ireland's visit to Cardiff both miserable and frustrating. A combination of influences not least of all a massive physical presence brought in to the game by Wales tore Irish dreams of a Six Nations championship win to shreds.

Ireland have now lost twice, this one 22-9 with three conceded tries and have just England to play next Saturday in Dublin.

This was Ireland under Friday night lights and a closed roof at the Millennium Stadium and a Welsh crowd seemingly singing even louder than normal, the noise bouncing and echoing around the stadium in great waves of sound.

"It is particularly raucous," said Irish coach Joe Schmidt before the match began. "It's hard to be comfortable playing Wales here in Cardiff," he added before the Welsh blizzard had even begun.

George North's double sees Irish title hopes go south

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Wales 22 Ireland 9: Ireland player ratings

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Wales 22 Ireland 9: Wales player ratings

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Grand Slam in sight for Ireland if basic errors eradicated

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And so it was as the two teams launched into a valiant war of attrition.

It was never going to be anything else, the Welsh players bringing their bristling physical aggression to Cardiff, Ireland struggling to settle and unusually also having to cope with a misfiring lineout, where three went astray in good territorial positions.

To crown it all a disconsolate Irish wing Tommy Bowe left the pitch on a stretcher towards the end of the match in what was a fitting image for crushed Irish hopes.

Wales came to their home ground feeling the weight of public criticism and badly needing to win back team respect and morale with two defeats from their opening three games, Ireland hoping to set up the grand finale on St Patrick’s weekend against England for a winner takes all game in Dublin.

George North had been picked out by assistant Wales coach Shaun Edwards as a player needing to deliver or his place on the wing would be in Jeopardy. That desperation transferred to every Welsh player who throughout the night never tired of bludgeoning Ireland and North particularly rising to Edward's stinging words.

The opening exchanges punctuated with Jack McGrath ripping a ball from a charging Welsh forward Alun Wyn Jones and Liam Williams flying head first in to clean out at the next breakdown. That sort of wilfull energy and determination set the tone for 80 minutes.

But it was Johnny Sexton who initially silenced the 80,000 crowd when Welsh scrumhalf Rhys Webb high tackled Robbie Henshaw to give Ireland the first opportunity to put points on the board after six minutes.

Indeed it was Sexton, who else, who peppered the match with incident. Ireland were forced to adjust after just 19 minutes when Sexton's head collided with the leg of Welsh centre Jonathan Davies. Many in the stadium must have thought the worst as Sexton clearly went off to undertake a head assessment.

Paddy Jackson came in for long enough to kick a penalty before the passed fit general came back to resume his command.

Minutes later Sexton found himself leaving the pitch again but this time after referee Wayne Barnes had shown the outhalf a yellow card. Sexton did brilliantly to scramble across the pitch to stop Davies from going in for a certain try.

But Barnes judged Sexton to have deliberately remained on the ground right on the Irish try line and so carded him for not rolling away, the bin ensuring Sexton would miss the final three minutes of the first half and the first seven of the second.

By that stage Wales led 8-6 in a contest that was shaping up to be a one score game. North held the only try of the first half when he exploded onto the ball after 20 minutes. Although Keith Earls and Simon Zebo got fingers to him, his 6'4'' and 17 stone smashed through the narrow gap to touch down.

It was impossible to call after the first 40 minutes but with Ireland having to weather seven opening minutes of the second half a man down, the imperative was not to allow Wales build a lead and force a chasing game.

But Wales earned their 10 points with Sexton off the pitch, North gathering Wales’ second try and Halfpenny converting for 15-6.

When they look back at the footage under the critical eye oof Schmidt they will see that too often Ireland made their way into the Welsh red zone only to spill the ball or give away a penalty.

One rolling maul on 70 minutes was inexorably inching towards the Welsh line when Henshaw burrowed in illegally. Barnes blew the penalty and apologised and explained the infraction. Another Irish scoring platform demolished.

Conor Murray departed injured just after half time. The Irish scrumhalf hurt his left arm in a first half tackle and had been trying to run it off. When he left Sexton still was not on the pitch, Ireland shorn of perhaps their two most influential players.

And so it frustratingly continued. The more Wales turned over ball and hit Ireland back the more confident they grew. Replacement Jamie Roberts nailed it down with the third try after Sexton's kick was blocked on 78 minutes.

Ultimately a win slipped through Ireland’s fingers. That will hurt the most.