Title Decider 2: Wales v Ireland 14 March

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WALES v IRELAND
Saturday 14 March 2015
KO: 14:30
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
AR1: Chris Pollock (NZR)
AR2: Federico Anselmi (UAR)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)

*****

The bookies are keeping with their earlier predictions of no GS winner above Ireland's chances. And same for the Triple Crown.  Though they have Ireland as favourites in Cardiff but not by much.

Given the distinct love-in that we've had over the last fortnight between Irish and English fans, are Wales now the new 'old enemy'?

Keep it clean folks.

Well a bit anyway.

Ireland team:
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 14. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 13. Jared Payne (Ulster) 12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) 11. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) 10. Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92) 9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster) 4. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 5. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt) 6. Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 7. Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster) 8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)

Replacements: 16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 18. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 20. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 21. Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster) 23. Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)

Wales Team: Webb, Roberts, Biggar, North, Williams, Halfpenny, Davies, Jones, Falateau, Warburton, Jenkins, Baldwin, Lee.
Replacements: R Hibbard R Evans A Jarvis , J Ball J Tipuric , M Phillips , R Priestland , S Williams

Any chance of some rugby Barnes?

Ireland get away with impeding the kick chase.

Sexton is gone mentally, suspect he is carrying an injury. He snaps the kick wide.

everyone gets away with impeding the kick chase

Please don't show that thing in the bright green wig again...

16 minutes on the clock. We've had 84 seconds of rugby between penalties. 22 minutes elapsed time.

Great kick

Good to see Ireland getting pinged a bit more this week.

@therugbymaster.

Then both teams should stop trying to cheat!

I'm going to become a Southern Hemisphere rugby fan I thibk.

This is dull dull dull

Sexton shows his class by bouncing back with a long range effort and the momentum seems to have swung as Ireland win the restart, and then a scrum for the first choke tackle.

Whats this Wales slowing the balll down....

Wales going to see a yellow if they aren't careful

We are treated to a minute and 20 seconds of running rugby over six phases before Barnes finally blows for one of the four penalties he thinks he's spotted in that time.

Mercifully Ireland kick for touch.

Both teams on a warning now. Don't agree with the majority of his rulings but Barnes is being consistent.

And another penalty spotted by Barnes, this time for wales.

barnes needs to keep blowing, or both teams are going to keep cheating. not one decision he has given has been wrong.

And another penalty for wales.

What's the world record for penalties in 40 minutes?

This needs a sweeping team try for the sake of the game...

The 6n really is a turgid affair.

Without Samson Lee Wales are having a torrid time at the scrum. Bloody unlucky to lose him so early.

quinsforever wrote:barnes needs to keep blowing, or both teams are going to keep cheating. not one decision he has given has been wrong.

I agree. He is insisting on players moving away which should (if the players respond) create more space and make for a better game. If the players don't or can't respond we will see cards soon and that will create more space.

Barnes is not the issue in this game. Both sides's poor discipline (and so far failure to adapt to high standards) is.

When did Wales develop a line out?

LeinsterFan4life wrote:The 6n really is a turgid affair.

No offence, but with the game plans of these two teams is that a surprise. That said, there is nothing worse than England v Scotland so maybe you're right.

How about stop moaning that the ref is blowing and moan that both teams are trying it on.

I think the ref needs to put a player from both sides in the bin to send out a message

Webb in trouble

Off goes Sam. Might wake the game...

Barnes does have some balls have to give him that.

Well that was coming.

Barnes sees fit to bin the welsh captain despite him having done absolutely nothing wrong.

Ireland escape a red card for a deliberate knee in the back.

Mathews is right, under Barnes rugby is becoming a penalty contest

Lol @therugbymaster. What planet are you on?

Golden wrote:Barnes does have some balls have to give him that.

Didn't really have a choice. He'd been warned and then told hands off.

Ye to be fair Barnes has probably been right. Maybe it's more the way rugby is going!

nothing to do with barnes. everything to do with the deliberate slowing down of both sides.

TheRugbyMaster wrote:Barnes sees fit to bin the welsh captain despite him having done absolutely nothing wrong.

Ireland escape a red card for a deliberate knee in the back.

Hope thats a joke

Ref consistent and yellow right.

Hope this opens the game up, as it is a terrible game go far

Odds on a scrum penalty to Ireland?

I wouldn't say it was deliberate but players going in knees first on the player on the floor is sneaky...

Golden wrote:

TheRugbyMaster wrote:Barnes sees fit to bin the welsh captain despite him having done absolutely nothing wrong.

Ireland escape a red card for a deliberate knee in the back.

Hope thats a joke

If the commentators are to be believed

My mistake! Wales penalty!

A smart line out move sees Liam Williams double around Webb and wales go in he corner!

Lovely set up from Webb for the DG. Gives Biggar every chance

Lovely drop goal !

what a clean strike on that drop goal

wales showing some composure here!

Much better from Ireland

what was rhys webb doing there? bit dim

thats barnes first mistake. clear pen for heaslip catching the knockon ahead

What did Barnes give at that scrum? Looked like he just took a guess

Well done Webb there delayed the put in to the scrum. Smart play.