Six Nations 2023 - Wales v Ireland, Sat 4th Feb, KO 2:15PM - TV: VM1, BBC1, S4C

Really enjoyed that win.

I'm glad that for once it went as expected. I had said on the Ireland Team Talk thread I couldn't see a scenario where we weren't considerably better than that Welsh side, and all the indicators told you we should win well.

A key thing for me about that Irish side was the professional and business-like like way we went about winning it, and how lowkey and composed we were after winning in Cardiff for the first time in 10 years. Hugo Keenan's post match interview was like it was after a routine TBP win for Leinster over the Dragons or someone shite in the URC. Massive contrast to the exuberance of the Scots after winning in Twickenham.

A lot of what they seemed to be trying to do this week (and some things we wouldn't have planned) - the camp in Portugal, trying to play in a hostile atmosphere with the roof closed etc and then the two late injury withdrawals, are exactly the sort of adversity you encounter in a RWC.

Weren't really any bad performers for Ireland today, but I thought Sheehan, James Ryan, Conor Murray, Stuart McCloskey and Hugo Keenan were all superb. Caelan Doris was the best player on the pitch. Bench brought good impact too - Henderson had about three big carries in the lead up to JVDF's try, Bundee brought huge energy and Ross Byrne had a nice shape on our attack in those closing minutes.

Good win - hopefully no fresh injury concerns and on to next week.

From watching the game back - I don't even think the Welsh played particularly well or put us under undue pressure in that second half - Ireland's discipline just went a bit awry. They weren't pressure penalties from relentless Welsh good play, most were just sloppy, and imo, 3 were harsh.

We conceded 1 penalty in the opening half hour, and only 1 in the last 15 mins, in between we conceded 11. That kept giving the Welsh possession, territory and opportunity, which, with the exception of the Williams try, they couldn't utilise.

Andrew Porter's Penalties

Andrew Porter gave away an incredible 6 penalties. That probably looks a little worse than it is in reality - I would say 5 of the 6 were the correct decision, but one was for holding on when Ireland were on the attack (I generally think these penalties are more on the teammates who should be clearing the ruck than the carrier in most cases). Of the other 5 penalties - I think one was a bad call. The one after the Liam Williams try. He isn't especially late there, and he goes in with his hands, to try and get under the ball. That situation was then aggravated by Dan Biggar coming in and starting the kerfuffle. I think it was a harsh penalty on Porter.

His other ones were mostly sloppy ones though - one in the scrum for losing his bind, one he was lucky to avoid a yellow for (pinged for tackling while on the floor, when the tip like nature of the tackle looked at least worthy of more scrutiny), one for not rolling after a tackle and one for being offside at a ruck.

He was probably lucky twice to avoid yellows; one for the tip tackle, but also for the sheer proximity of his penalties. He gave away penalties in the 34th, 40th, 42nd, 44th and 45th minutes (and a final one, for holding on, after 60 mins).

On the flip side - he did make a big number of tackles (14 made, 1 missed), played a lot of minutes and had a huge amount of ruck involvements (so gave himself more opportunities to offend effectively). He also won a penalty in the scrum from Dillon Lewis in the 47th min.

Dickson - Overall assessment

I don't think Karl Dickson had a bad game - but we did have three harsh penalties I felt against us during that crucial passage when it felt like we just couldn't get our hands on the ball. First one is the late hit penalty on Porter I've mentioned above.

Second one was on James Lowe after 49 mins for crossing / blocking the kick chaser, and was a ridiculous call. Keenan makes the catch, Adams was nowhere near to contest and just barges straight into the back of Lowe. Bad penalty.

Third one was the strange TMO interjection to overturn Bundee's penalty on 63 mins, and ping him for the tackle off the ball on George North. All three penalties were harsh, and allowed the Welsh to keep possession and territory.

Fwiw, I also think the Henderson penalty on second viewing while strictly okay was probably on the harsh side. He does everything he can to avoid the contact, and barely grazes Williams, who absolutely makes a meal of it. Sexton was hit late after kicking multiple times in the game and didn't get the penalty.

He was also guilty I felt though of not awarding Ireland a lot in the second half for when we had players clearly on the ball - it happened clearly with JvdF on 54 mins, and then with Doris twice after 56 and 62 mins.

Overall, he wasn't a decisive factor in the game, but I do think the multitude of penalties in the second half were what created the appearance of Wales being more in the game that they actually were.

Yeah, I definitely think the dialogue at the time when Dickson said "10 doesn't know what's happening" was referencing whether or not a substitution was happening or not, it wasn't him making a determination that Sexton was in need of a HIA.

Sexton walked off by himself, and went to the bench. He didn't leave for a HIA as far as I could see.

I think Joe ball ruined Murray. Slow everything down and box kick or preplanned moves.

Yet you said that a 20+ points win would be a hammering, and you would admit as much...

Well?

I thought the "tip" tackle was harsh as well. The only reason it happened is because the Welsh player jumped into it which is itself a penalty offence. Imo it was never a yellow. And the the restart penalty was such a nonsense.

Aaannnd, if you only count the minutes from 40-50, we actually lost! Panic stations!!!