Wales vs Ireland - Six Nations

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Date - Saturday 2nd February 2013, KO 13:30
Venue - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Wales

Coverage - Watch live on BBC One NI, BBC One HD
Internet - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/
Radio - BBC Radio Ulster
Replay the Game - BBC iPlayer

Wales Team

15 L Halfpenny
14 A Cuthbert
13 J Davies
12 J Roberts
11 G North
10 D Biggar
09 M Phillips
01 G Jenkins
02 M Rees
03 A Jones
04 A Coombs
05 I Evans
06 A Shingler
08 T Faletau
07 S Warburton (capt)

Replacements

16 K Owens
17 C Mitchell
18 P James
19 O Kohn
20 J Tipuric
21 L Williams
22 S Williams
23 J Hook


Ireland Team

01 Cian Healy
02 Rory Best
03 Mike Ross
03 Donnacha Ryan
05 Mike McCarthy
06 Peter O'Mahony
07 Sean O'Brien
08 Jamie Heaslip (c)
09 Conor Murray
10 Jonathan Sexton
11 Simon Zebo
12 Gordon Darcy
13 Brian O'Driscoll
14 Craig Gilroy
15 Rob Kearney

Replacements

16 Sean Cronin
17 Dave Kilcoyne
18 Declan Fitzpatrick
19 Donnacha O'Callaghan
20 Chris Henry
21 Eoin Reddan
22 Ronan O'Gara
23 Keith Earls



TOURNAMENT RECORD

MATCH FACTS

HEAD-TO-HEAD
These two nations have clashed on 118 occasions since 1882. Wales have 65 wins; Ireland 47.

Wales have won their last three Tests against Ireland; two in the Six Nations, one at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Since 1985 Ireland have won 10 and drawn one in Cardiff, with Wales picking up just two wins.

Legendary Irish fly-half Ronan O'Gara has scored 100 points in 14 appearances against Wales. O'Gara and centre Brian
O'Driscoll are the record caps holders for Ireland against Wales.

WALES

Have lost their last seven games, their worst run since 2003 (when they lost 10 on the spin).
Should Ireland win this fixture, Wales would have lost five consecutive home games for the first time in their history (they lost four at home during that 10-defeat run back in 2003).
Have scored just seven tries in their last seven matches.
The Wales pack retained possession at 96% of their own put-ins during last season's Six Nations. However, they did win just 22 scrums across the whole tournament - fewer than any other side.
Alex Cuthbert made seven clean breaks in last season's Six Nations, more than any other player.

IRELAND

Prior to the win over Argentina in their final match of 2012 Ireland had lost five straight Tests, scoring just two tries in the process (this excludes XV versus Fiji). It was their worst run since 1998.
Ireland were top points scorers in last year's Six Nations, racking up 121 in total (an average of over 24 per match). This included 13 tries, the most they had scored in the competition since 2007.


Games played between Ireland and Wales: 118 18.13%
Games won by Wales: 65 55.08%
Games lost by Wales: 47 39.83%
Games drawn: 6 5.08%

Most wins in a row for Wales over Ireland: 5

Most wins in a row for Ireland over Wales: 5

Average Pts Per Game 13

Heaviest Defeat 3rd of Feb 2002 Ireland 54 - 10 Wales

Recent Record between Ireland and Wales

2012 - Ireland 21-23 Wales
2011 - Ireland 10-22 Wales (RWC)
2011 - Wales 19-13 Ireland
2010 - Ireland 27-12 Wales
2009 - Wales 15-17 Ireland
2008 - Ireland 12-16 Wales

Yes Billy - another one now. Ireland did a good little maul there too.

Try Ireland!

Irish scrum dominating? Wooooo try for zebo

Good strong scrum from both sides, but Ireland come away with it, and Zebo's in with the first try.

0-5 at 10 minutes.

Lovely try

Fantastic, made by BOD. Classy.

nathan wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Any scrums yet? Really interested to see how the Welsh hold up against the Irish scrum

Lots of resets at the moment, not sure what's going on.

Thanks mate

BOD is a genius. Yesssss!

Great start by Ireland. Lovely run and pass by bod

Zebo!

Only that one scrum Billy. Had to be reset but Ireland won on feed then spun it out wide.

Fantastic! C'mon Ireland!

So Ireland score?

7 - 0 ire

0-7 at nearly 12 minutes.

A Leinster and Munster player working well together....who'd have thought?

BOD on fire so far, Zebo gets his first 6 nations try. The Ireland backs actually look to have shape so far, people are running lines and not just shovelling it for once.

Good choke tackle leads to irish scrum

Choke tackle works well for Ireland again.

Rory Best with his first turnover of the tournament- he's so good at that.

Oh come Ireland then

Smiler's head is weeing blood, so Ken Owens on as blood sub.

Sorry I am a little late to the party but good luck to both teams.

JmD wrote:BOD on fire so far, Zebo gets his first 6 nations try. The Ireland backs actually look to have shape so far, people are running lines and not just shovelling it for once.

Yeah its been a good start by Ireland.

Cuthbert should of done better on that Ireland try.

He took 3 men out in one movement. Great to see the kids learn from him. Zebo and Gilroy should just hang on his shoulder.

nathan wrote:Cuthbert should of done better on that Ireland try.

Was just thinking the same myself - he didn't even attempt a tackle on Zebo and he could've.

Poites favouring the irish scrum so far

Welsh front row getting pinged a fair bit. Dark Arts are backfiring.

Poor scrum from Adam Jones...don't see that often!

Bad throw from best at the line out then an awful pass by Davies so another irish lineout

Wales looking dangerous then - - slung into touch!

Pathetic pass there.

Good grief...terrible flat passes from the Welsh there.

You can tell this is the first game of the 6 nations. Some very rusty looking plays out there.

Bit late but beautiful pass from BOD for the try

Sexton in control here.

Good probing kick by Sexton.

Halfpenny panic kicking...doesn't really achieve anything. Ireland on the attack again...

Both teams are just passing robotically out to the wings.

Noone is standing deep...and the only time somone did something Ireland scored.

Wales need to be a little deeper...and the players need to run a bit more direct before just passing straight away...

Schitt! could be another Irish try here...

Nothing wrong with the Irish passing

Ireland almost over. Some great short passes there. They are dominating this.

Worrying signs for Wales. Crowd is very quite.

So close from gilroy then Healy and then bod. Irish scrum 5 metres out. Brilliant start from ireland

Wales lucky not to get a penalty against them there - hands all over the ball in the ruck

Ireland intelligent

Wales making mistakes everywhere

BOD has banged his head for the umpteenth time. Hope it's not serious.

No intelligence in Welsh attack. NONE

Penalty against Coombs. Sexytoes' drop goal attempt misses but Ireland have the penalty.

He missed that drop goal??? Yikes.

Coombs penalised for the second time.

What was the point of Sexton doing that? They have a guaranteed 3 points coming, a drop goal achieves nothing. Go for the try. That's one of my biggest pet peeves in rugby.