Wales 31

Ireland 5

Hamish Stuart reports from Cardiff Arms Park

A GULF AS wide as the Irish Sea between a team who have been largely professional for a year and one just discovering the professional era in the last few months.

Wales were stronger up front as they burst into action in front of a record home crowd for a Six Nations game of almost 5,000.

For Ireland, this was meant to be the dawn of a new era, a first Six Nations with 29 players on professional deals, some of those plying their trade in the higher league standard in England. Instead, it showed how much they still need to catch up.

That difference showed right from the start as a turnover was followed by a scrum penalty and a 15-yard driving lineout, finished off with a try for home flanker Alex Callender.

The Welsh scrum continued to be dominant, even after losing second row Gwen Crabb to injury, and laid the platform for a series of attacks on the Irish line finished off by scrum-half Keira Bevan from close range. She added the conversion herself.

Ireland also briefly lost a second row to injury, Sam Monaghan being replaced by Jo Brown for an HIA, but there was still a certain inevitability when Wales won another penalty and kicked to the corner.

This time, the lineout drive was finished off by replacement Sioned Harries and Bevan again added the conversion.

Ireland also lost full back Méabh Deely, making her Six Nations debut, to add to the problems of an inexperienced squad already missing several big names both to injury and to the Sevens program.

Even when the Irish scrum functioned, they ended up being punished, centre Kerin Lake breaking through the middle, handing off Nicole Cronin, and passing to midfield partner Hannah Jones to score under the posts. Bevan, again, added the extras.

Prop Sisilia Tuipulotu extened that lead early in the second half, twice going over the line but her first effort was denied by the TMO.

Ireland lost replacement hooker Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird to a yellow card for slapping the ball out of the scrum-half’s hands, a slightly unfortunate decision.

In spite of this particular setback, they did gain some consolation when captain Nichola Fryday went over from close range for what proved to be the final score of the game.

Scorers for Wales:

Tries: Callender, Bevan, Harries, Jones, Tuipulotu
Cons: Bevan (3/4)

Scorers for Ireland:

Tries: Fryday

WALES: C Keight; L Neumann, H Jones (H Bluck 60), K Lake, C Williams-Morris; E Snowsill (L George not used), K Bevan (F Lewis 60); G Pyrs (C Thomas 71), K Jones (K Evans 62), S Tuipulotu (C Hale 60), A Fleming, G Crabb (S Harries 6), G Evans, A Callender, B Lewis (K Williams 52)

IRELAND: M Deely (V Irwin 31); A Doyle A Dalton, E Breen, N Behan; N Cronin (D O’Brien ), M Scuffil-McCabe (H O’Connor 63); S McGrath (C Haney 56), N Jones (D Nic a Bhaird 40), L Djougang (N O’Dowd 71), N Fryday, S Monaghan (J Brown 19-31), D Wall (G Moore 52), M Óg O’Leary, B Hogan (J Brown 52)

Referee: Amber McLachlan (RA)

Attendance: 4,962