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

O'Mahony is on the wing for too often. He got burned there.

Think Ireland should play for territory now and slow the game down and challenge the lineout.

Why does Phillips man sausage up and then look to the ref instead of righting his wrong.

Good Henry on

Think about it guys. We needed this performance to clear out the c r a p.

Phillips, Warburton, Shingler gone

Wales might get another 10 points in this game, but Ireland will probably score more. Consolation try only to be honest.

Good substitution there. Pom has played well

Looking forward to seeing Henry play, he should cause the Welsh even more headaches at the ruck now!

Henry on for POM. Matt Rhys off for Ken Owens. Tippy is a legend. He should start next week.

Henry to 7. Thats a better Irish backrow now.

Slow it down Ireland!!!!!

Slow loopy passing

Blatant deliberate knock down there

Should of been a pen to Wales.

Gibson wrote:Henry to 7. Thats a better Irish backrow now.

Agree, though POM wasn't bad.

Come on Wales, I'm hoping for a draw! Lol

Roberts did the same in the first half, it's consistent

God ireland need to get the control back

Oh god I hate it when they've got some loud woman ruight next to the pitch mic.

Mike Phillips again!

How long before a yellow card?

Ah Poite, I can't wait for you to ref an England game

It would be amazing if Coombs scored a try.

Ireland have to slow em down and quell this revival.

Soooo slooooooww

Another penalty well be missing a player soon enough

Stretch to get it over North!

really nice stuff by north there gained alot..

Come on Wales...at this rate you couldn't score in a brothel!

How to butcher a certain try 101 from Ian Evans

How many times are Wales going to butcher it?

Halfpenny crunched!

Must be yellow!!!!

Best is binned!

What a hit by gilroy I think

Charity yellow for Wales. Game changer.

Wow what on earth was that penalty for Best was perfect for that steal

Could Wales be saved by a yellow again...?

Breast is off to the bin. Lol, Mathews is talking about the amazing defence. He's just been binned!????

Tipuric is so much better than warburton

Did someone get stamped in the face there?

1/2 p scores in the corner!

How hard do Wales make it for themselves?!

Irish player get a boot to the face there?

Halfpenny over!!!

There was an incident back on the left side...I saw Sexytoes clutching his face...

nice work by Halfpenny

That's a try.

15-30 at 58 minutes, but will Wales lose a player now?

This pitch is bob! Its cutting up everywhere.

It's been all wales. Could actually win this

Conversion missed.

15-30 at 59 minutes. Not sure what happened earlier...

Very poor play by Philips