Ireland (16) v Wales (16) Report

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From www.rli.ie

Last gasp try as Ireland escape defeat

Ireland A 16

Wales A 16

By Kevin O’Brien


As the game entered its dying minutes and Ireland stared defeat in the face with Wales leading by four points, Irish centre Wayne Kelly found Eimhin Griffiths, who cut inside, evaded a tackle and landed gleefully over the Welsh try-line to salvage a share of the spoils. From an Irish perspective, going 10-0 down invariably meant that they were playing catch-up for the majority of the game.

It was a landmark occasion for the Carlow Crusaders, who were extremely proud to play host to their first ever international match at a well prepared Oak Park.

Both sides went into the game unbeaten following victories in the previous round of the tournament. This top of the table clash promised to excite and never failed to do so with a last gasp try being followed by a potential match-winning dropkick by Welsh scrum-half Gareth David which veered inches wide of the upright.

Matt Ashe quickly emerged as an Irish threat, his kicking ability already causing problems for the opposing backline. On a number of occasions in the opening quarter he turned defence into attack with long balls in behind the Welsh line. A smartly taken drubber kick by Liam Walsh caused havoc for the Welsh defence but a timely intervention by Lee Williams prevented Wayne Kelly from gathering and breaking the deadlock. Lemaki Viapulu also impressed with a number of enormous tackles as soon as Daniel Blethyn and Karl Hocking got within striking distance of the line. With Ireland largely dominating possession, playing on the counter quickly emerged as how the Welsh were going to play the game. A telling blend of pace and strength ultimately led to a counter attack by Matthew Entwhistle who sliced open the Irish defence with a skilful through ball to winger Lee Williams. Williams raced past the despairing challenge of Eimhin Griffiths to give Wales a crucial if undeserved lead. Gareth David was wide with the conversion but his side had drawn first blood.

Wales maintained the momentum gathered by the preceding try and won a line ball inside the Irish 22. Gareth David offloaded to Anthony Watts who took his cue and forced his way over the try-line, followed by Paul Emanuelli’s conversion as Wales moved into an unassailable 10-0 lead. The Welsh expansive game proved rewarding as they broadened the margin further.

Liam Walsh continued his fine supply of ball to Mick Harte and Sean Hennessy but on each occasion they were confronted by a sea of red jerseys. Eventually Ireland got a score that reflected their dominance with the first half drawing to a close. Griffiths and Kelly made up useful ground on the wing before the ball was supplied to Phil Purdue who charged over the Welsh try-line to the delight of the home support. Walsh also added the conversion to reduce the deficit to four points with twenty minutes left to play in the second half. That score left the proceedings finely poised at 10-6 at the break.

Wales restored their ten point advantage nine minutes into the second-half when Owen Lewis threw to Daniel Blethyn who returned the compliment as the Welshman raced around the outside and sped home into the corner. Paul Emanuelli duly obliged from the conversion to widen the lead.

Three minutes later however, Phil Purdue used his muscle to press Wales into their own 22 and this left space for scrum-half Liam Walsh to scoop up the ball and dive between the posts. Walsh also added the conversion to reduce the deficit to four points with twenty minutes left to play in the second half. That score left the proceedings finely poised at 10-6 at the break.

Wales produced a fine team move down the right hand-side with Christian Roets using his upper body strength to hold off the tackle before finding Anthony Watts who finished resolutely. However, crucially for Ireland the referee disallowed the try for an obstruction on the back-tracking Irish defence. The decision was made after the linesman correctly informed the referee of the incident which he did well to spot. This decision gave the Irish a massive lift, as they knew that a converted try could still earn victory. Matt Ashe continued to create chances for Ireland and with time running out, they were in desperate need of a score. Wayne Kelly received a great ball from Matt Ashe he delivered a fantastic reverse pass to the swift running of Eimhin Griffiths. The pacey winger skipped past Owen Lewis after turning inside to finish a vital last gasp equaliser for Ireland. The angle from the resulting conversion proved too difficult for Man of the Match Liam Walsh as his effort on goal drifted to the right and wide. Wales managed to break up the field and the ball was recycled to Welsh scrum-half Gareth David who attempted an audacious dropkick at goal from thirty yards out. The Irish support watched anxiously as the ball sailed past the right hand post and wide. With that effort also conceivably went Wales’s final chance of victory.

The referee brought to the proceedings amid a sense of anti-climax as both sides will feel aggrieved that victory eluded them.


Ireland A: Alan McNamara (Titans), Lemaki Viapulu (Titans), Wayne Kelly (Pumas), Mike Brodie (Titans), Eimhin Griffiths (Arrows), Steve Gibbons (Crusaders) Capt., Matt Ashe (Knights), Clive Gee (Panthers), Liam Walsh (Siddal), Phil Purdue (Eagles), Sean Hennessy (Crusaders), Russell Armstrong (Crusaders), Kevin O'Riordan (Titans).
Subs: Bernard Westman (Knights), Brian Rushe (Knights), Mick Harte (Knights), Ross Barbour (Crusaders), Mark Hanrahan (Titans).

Wales A: David James, Lee Williams, Christian Roets, Owen Lewis, Daniel Blethyn, Paul Emanuelli, Gareth David, Anthony Watts, Steve Mayley, Karl Hocking, Jason Hill, John Bowd, Mathew Entwhistle

Subs: Miles Davies, Neil Dixon, Joseph Davies, Dean Scully, Mark Jones.