Ireland vs Wales
The group stages are over! And Wales made it through! Splendid. And as long as Wales are still in the tournament, WYWG will keep watching the matches and then, several days later, posting commentary about them, [ably assisted by friend-of-WYWG, Tom.]
Today’s commentary team: Simon Ward, Michael Owen, and Alan Quinlan. Ref: Craig Joubert. [I feel sick to the pit of my stomach. I’ve been lucky enough to see Wales win two grand slams in the last six years, but this is I think the biggest Wales match of my life.]
Wales start the match by forcing a turnover. They kick an up-and-under, which Jamie Roberts wins from the Irish back line. Wales march up the pitch and Shane Williams scores in the corner! Priestland makes the difficult kick. That is a good start. If they can just keep scoring at that rate, Wales will win 186 - 0!
Ireland 0 - 7 Wales
After the restart, Priestland attempts to put up another high kick, but it’s charged down. Halfpenny cleans up the mess, though. Shane chips ahead, and then Wales go offside in a ruck and concede a penalty. Ireland kick for an attacking lineout.
Now it’s Ireland attacking. George North! is penalised for not rolling away in the tackle. Ireland elect for another attacking lineout. Ireland win it, but then knock on. Now Wales are penalised for joining maul incorrectly. I feel sick. Ireland again kick into the corner. [I can see the Irish logic here, its early in the game, it’s a hard kick, why not crank up the pressure and back themselves.]
Ireland win the lineout and attack the Welsh line again and again. Big tackle from Warburton on O’Gara. The Welsh defence drive them back 15 yards, and then a wayward pass goes to ground and the Welsh forwards dive on the ball for the turnover. [First rate D from Wales. Shaun Edwards will be “happy”. (Not sure he ever actually smiles…)]
Wales attack again, but this time the ball’s not coming out from the rucks as quickly. O’Driscoll intercepts.
Now it’s Ireland marching up the pitch. Wales give away a penalty. Again they kick into the corner. [Increasingly ballsy this tactic from BOD.] They win the lineout and then O’Brien peels off the maul, but he’s held up over the line. Irish scrum. [And special mention to lil Shane here, who inexplicably managed to hold up SOB over the line. Wily like a coyote from the old-stager…]
O’Gara drops the ball and Wales gather. Halfpenny looks to kick but Ireland are up quick and he runs instead. [You cannot fluster him—for he is unflusterable!] Then Priestland clears.
Ireland put up a high kick, but Halfpenny makes a superb mark under pressure. [See?]
O’Gara kicks for the corner, but the ball bounces just the wrong side of the corner flag, and Joubert calls the ball back for a scrum near the halfway line. Welsh scrum hits too early, and O’Gara successfully kicks into the corner.
Priestland’s high kick is much too short, and the ball bounces off some players and into O’Driscoll’s hands. He attacks and passes to Kearney. Wales turn it over, but then concede a penalty directly in front of the posts. This time O’Gara kicks it over.
Ireland 3 - 7 Wales
Wales are defending well, but they’re not creating turnovers; they could really do with a bit of possession.
Welsh penalty on the halfway line. Halfpenny steps up. Wow. That’s a long kick. [And made with room to spare.]
Ireland 3 - 10 Wales
What I was saying last week about Owen only ever talking about the Welsh is even more evident now Wales are playing a team I actually know vaguely. It’d be really irritating if I were Irish, I think. But I’m not!
With thirty minutes played, Alan Quinlan says something. I think thats the first time I’ve heard him.
Wales fumble the ball in a tackle, and Ireland attack again. O’Gara taps a little kick into the corner.
Now Alan Quinlan is talking more. Perhaps he was in the toilet for the start of the match? [Also there seems to have been a evenhandedness contest breaking out between Owen and Quinlan, each of them insisting on praising the opposition and underplaying the achievements of their own side. Both clearly want to be the underdog—but truth is that this is pretty even stevens out there, and is a mesmerising game of rugby.]
Wales fluff the lineout and Ward says something about the wind affecting the lineout throwers as well as the kickers. Funny how it’s not affecting the Irish lineout.
Wales lose another of their lineouts.
Wales awarded a free kick at a scrum. Mike Phillips takes it quickly. The Irish don’t retreat ten yards, but aren’t penalised for it.
Wales run though the phases. Charteris fails to release, and Ireland have a penalty.
Half time. God this is stressful.
Half time score: Ireland 3 - 10 Wales
Gareth Thomas on the sideline is bullish on Welsh prospects. [And look: I know he’s 5 million times better qualified to comment than me, but Alfie, ferchrissakes, don’t jinx it!] I’m concerned about the lack of possession they’ve had. Telling stat: Wales have made 85 tackles to Ireland’s 46. [Most of them splendid daisy-cutters that have scythed the Irish down at the ankles. Possession is a worry for sure, but Wales’s faithfulness to their gameplan, their bite and snap in defence has been a marvel. A bloody marvel.]
Second Half
Another great take of a high ball from Halfpenny. [He’s edging the battle with Kearney (who’s looked dangerous ball in hand)—and that typifies the match-ups all over—in the majority of positions (not all) the Welsh and Irish are pretty evenly matched (on form and reputation at least), but the Welsh boys are edging it thus far.]
Series of long kicks between the teams culminates in an Irish lineout.
Ireland attack. Wales give away a penalty, but Ireland play the advantage. A pass goes to ground, but Bowe picks it up and ships it to Earls, who runs for the line. He dives from about 5 yards away and slides in. [Well taken, but essentially it was the filthy bounce pass that created that try. Jammy gets.] Joubert asks the video ref and after some consideration of whether Earls’s foot is in touch before he grounds the ball, the try is awarded. O’Gara makes the kick. [A beauty, and as goes ROG, so goes Ireland. Has he put his indifferent first 40 behind him to turn the screw on Wales as so often in the past? 10-10. Game on. Dark fug of pessimism descends.]
Ireland 10 - 10 Wales
I thought I felt sick before. Wales attack, and run through some quick phases, but Bradley Davies is turned over and Ireland kick for safety.
Bennett makes a beautiful dive pass from the base of a ruck. Nice! Wales concede another penalty, and again Ireland kick for a lineout. [Who is this new Huw Bennett? And where is he hiding the old one?]
Wales pinch a lineout(!) and spin it out wide. [One thing usually guaranteed against the Irish is that their line-out is pretty much impervious. Getting some against really gives me some hope for this game…]
The ball comes back across the pitch, and then Phillips spots a gap in the defence and scores a superb, diving try in the corner. And I was about to criticise him for his slow service. [And I have been on his case all season. A fantastic piece of cunning and intelligence from Mikey P. Yes, intelligence!] Priestland can’t make the kick this time. [Ugh, five point gap—just like against SA. Nausea crescendo approaches…]
Ireland 10 - 15 Wales
Fantastic long kick from Priestland. Ireland again make a mistake at the lineout [like, OMG] and Wales have another attacking chance. Davies drops it.
Another pass to no-one from the Irish back line. [What a difference in response to the Ireland try. Wales just put it behind them and came back firing—and it’s Irish heads that might—just might—have dropped here.]
Murray and O’Gara come off, replaced by Reddan and Sexton. Michael Owen is getting way too confident for my liking. Shut up shut up shut up! Ireland are penalised for collapsing the scrum. Priestland’s kick hits the post. [Almost certainly directly due to Michael Owen’s premature utterances…]
Another good take of a high ball, this time by Shane Williams. [Not to get all Michael Owen here, but dammit if the bloody BELIEF in these boys isn’t almost palpable. They are doing so much so well.]
Owen utters the words: “Shane Williams, so strong.” Then Ward refers to him as, “the mighty mouse.” [Is that better or worse than the “little magician” or “welsh wizard” that he usually gets? Hard to say…]
Earls makes a mistake attempting to offload from the tackle, and Wales have a scrum well inside the Irish half. Welsh scrum looking strong. [My dad told me that the Welsh front row would establish their superiority in due course and to rest easy in my concerns about the form of Healy and Ross. He was dead right.]
Wales attack, Davies elects to run instead of shipping it out to Halfpenny. I’m about to curse at him [I have already wailed “bloody swiiiing it” at the telly,] and then he strolls through four Irish defenders and scores an easy try. [Bizarre; JD2 seemed to just coast through in 2nd gear whilst the cover defence basically just gawped at each other. Talk about playing what’s in front of you—class!] Priestland converts.
Ireland 10 - 22 Wales
George North! is not finding it quite as easy to run through the Irish as he did the Namibians and Fijians. He’s shepherded into touch.
Ireland again attacking the try-line. My previous nausea was nothing. Now I feel sick. Reddan makes a nifty pass to O’Brien, but then O’Driscoll concedes a scrum. Ireland are immediately penalised. Wales steal another lineout. [Michael Owen and Alfie may not have jinxed the whole thing—all the big moments are going Wales’s way here. Amazing.]
Ten minutes left. [Twelve point gap. Surely, surely that’s enough.]
Trimble comes on for Earls.
After Priestland puts up a high kick, Ward says that Halfpenny “really is a calming influence at 10 for Wales.” Even though he’s playing at 15.
Welsh penalty, and Priestland again hits the post. [The other one this time—overcompensating see?] Ireland put through a long kick, and Faletau does [very] well to clean it up. [Typically calm and composed bit of play from Toby there; he’s not been the most prominent of the back row today, but has acquitted himself very, very well. Much like Halfpenny, it seems nigh on impossible to faze him. He is 20 years old.]
Ireland bring on the rest of their subs. With five minutes left, Ireland have an attacking lineout.
I haven’t mentioned him today, but Warburton has been awesome at the breakdown (as usual) today. [Lydiate too, despite about 5kgs of strapping on his dodgy ankles.] Welsh penalty. With three minutes left, Priestland is subbed off for Hook. The commentary team are now satisfied that Wales have won the game. My stomach isn’t quite so sure. Wales grind out a couple of phases, and then Hook puts up a big high kick. Then Ireland concede a penalty, and the clock runs out as they take the lineout. And that’s it! [Huw Bennett gets all scrum-halfy again and belts the ball into touch and…] Wales are in the semi finals of the World Cup!
Final Score: Ireland 10 - 22 Wales
[Mother of god! We did it!]
That was a seriously good performance from Wales. They hardly made any errors, and they capitalised on the Irish errors. [Well described in Blood and Mud’s match review as “all-consuming competence.”] Their try-line defence was superb (as it has been all World Cup) and they looked good in attack. Best full-match performance I’ve seen from Wales in years, possibly ever.
Conclusion: Come OOOOONNNNNN!
[Apologies: Sorry, not many “jokes” or even “wry observations” this week—but this is a World Cup Quarter Final—and now a Semi Final. This is serious business. Men’s business. And Wales are the men.]
[Kudos: Both Alan Quinlan in the commentators’ pitch-side post mortem, putting up with a high-fiving Alfie, and Brian O’Driscoll doing the dutiful for NZ TV before the sponsors’ board (and looking about as crestfallen as is possible to imagine), conducted themselves with serious class in the aftermath of the game. That can’t have been easy, especially for the latter. Hope to see him on the Lions tour 2013.]
[Conclusion: France, with their tails up. Oh bugger. Knot of nausea returns to stomach…]
