Ireland score bonus point win over Wales in Six Nations

HOLDERS Ireland remain on track to retain their Guinness Six Nations Championship title and Grand Slam after recording a hard fought 31-7 bonus point victory over a spirited, if limited, Wales side at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Tadhg Beirne's try with the clock in the red after 80 minutes helped Ireland claim a maximum five point haul from the fixture and extend their winning run in the competition at the Aviva Stadium to 18 games.

The home side had looked to record a runaway win when leading 17-0 at half-time. However, it didn't materialise that way as a spirited Welsh side provided stubborn resistance through the second half.

Ireland, who mixed some sloppy play with some excellent passages over the 80 minutes, now have 11 straight championship victories following this latest success over a winless Welsh side.

The game saw Munster Rugby's Peter O'Mahony slot back into the starting XV as one of seven personnel changes to the side which defeated Italy 36-0 earlier in the month.

O'Mahony became the ninth Ireland player to reach 50 appearances in the Six Nations, following in the footsteps of three Limerick men, Conor Murray, John Hayes, and Paul O'Connell as well as Rory Best, Ronan O'Gara, Brian O'Driscoll, Cian Healy and Jonathan Sexton. 

After a bright opening to a game played in ideal conditions, Ireland hit the front in the seventh minute as Jack Crowley converted a penalty award from the Welsh 10-metre line after the visitors were penalised for a high tackle.

Ireland dominated territory and possession through the opening quarter but failed to come away with points from a number of excursions inside the Welsh '22.

That was until the 21st minute when, from a brilliantly executed maul, the Ireland pack and more than a healthy sprinkling of backs for good measure drove the visitors back over their own line.

Hooker Dan Sheehan was credited with the touchdown, his fourth of this season's 6 Nations campaign. Crowley also added the extras to help the home side into a healthy 10-0 advantage.

Ireland continued to hold the upperhand and the home side added a second try in the 32nd minute. The home side took their opponents through a dozen phases, eventually earning a penalty advantage. offside. Joe McCarthy bashed up the middle to make a significant incision in the Welsh defence, before Calvin Nash comes off his wing and gets an offload out to James Lowe who dotted down.

Crowley superbly added the extras from close to the touchline and suddenly Ireland's advantage was out to to a significant 17-0.

Ireland maintained their 17-0 advantage until half time as the home side enjoyed 70% possession in the opening 40 minutes.

Wales were right back into the contest three minutes into the second half when awarded a penalty try after their well-executed maul was illegally hauled down when back over their tryline. 

The home side was also reduced to 14 players in the incident with Tadhg Beirne shown a yellow card for changing his bind in defending against the Welsh maul. 

The third quarter saw Munster Rugby prop Oli Jager make his Ireland debut off the bench when introduced as a replacement. 

Ireland thought they had hit back at the end of the third quarter with a third try. Ireland's attack stretched the Wales defence once more, with Gibson-Park hauled down just short of the tryline. The ball was quickly recycled. Nash was initially denied, but centre Bundee Aki powered his way over under the posts.

The match referee initially awarded the five-pointer, but the replay, spotted by the TMO, picked up that the ball come forward off Robbie Henshaw in the build-up and so the score was chalked off.

Ireland would not be denied, however, and a third try followed soon after with full-back Ciaran Frawley darting over after he ran onto a pass from Gibson-Park following a line-out. Crowley's conversion pushed the home side's advantage out to 17 points which was a truer reflection on the gap between the sides. 

To their credit, Wales fought bravely in a bid to reduce the arrears through the closing quarter. However, it was Ireland who bagged the last points of the game as Beirne crossed for the bonus point try with the match clock in the red.

SCORERS: Ireland: Dan Sheehan, James Lowe, Ciaran Frawley, Tadhg Beirne try each, Jack Crowley pen, four cons. Wales: pen try, con.

IRELAND: Ciaran Frawley (Leinster); Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster). Replacements: Jack Conan (Leinster) for van der Flier (50 mins), Oli Jager (Munster) for Furlong, Ronan Kelleher (Leinster) for Sheehan, James Ryan (Leinster) for McCarthy, Ryan Baird (Leinster) for O'Mahony (all 54 mins), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) for Nash (66 mins), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) for Gibson-Park (69 mins), Cian Healy (Leinster) for Porter (72 mins).

WALES: Cameron Winnett (Cardiff); Josh Adams (Cardiff), George North (Ospreys), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Rio Dyer (Dragons); Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff); Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs) (capt), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Alex Mann (Cardiff), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons). Replacements: Dillon Lewis (Harlequins) for Assiratti (50 mins), Will Rowlands (Racing 92) for Beard, Mackenzie Martin (Cardiff) for Mann (both 54 mins), Mason Grady (Cardiff for Adams (58 mins), Corey Domachowski (Cardiff) for Thomas (59 mins), Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets) for Costelow (62 mins), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets) for Williams (67 mins), Costelow for Cameron Winnett (HIA, 76 mins).

REFEREE: Andrea Piardi (Italy)