Six Nations: good start for Ireland, Wales bent 29-7 in Dublin

Ireland defeated Wales 29-7 in Dublin which opened the 2022 edition of the Six Nations. Almost an entire team is built with the injured in Wales: they are Elliott Dee, Taulupe Faletau, Leigh Halfpenny, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Josh Macleod, Josh Navidi, George North, Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric and Johnny Williams. It is clear that with such a number of absences and with their enormous specific weight it is absolutely impossible to hope to repeat the sensational feat of a year ago, when as an outsider with few chances, the team of coach Wayne Pivac won the title. So when Ireland unlocks it after just 3 minutes, everything suggests a walk in the park: the impression is wrong, but when the money is finally drawn, that will be the result.

Defence

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From touche in the 22 the Irish pretend the maul and then go straight deep and reach under the posts, then quickly reopen offshore and rookie winger Mackenzie Hansen (born in Australia to an Irish mother) fishes very free to the left Bundee Aki. Sexton transforms, but then unexpectedly misses two places not very difficult for him (even if the wind affects a little). The third at 21 ‘under the goalposts finally slips it. The problem for the Irish, however, is another: in the face of the enormous amount of work, in the face of an overflowing dominion of possession and territory, dangerous actions are no longer built. Wales, on the other hand, cannot afford too much, they try to put their nose in the opposing half of the pitch, but only manage to smell the smell of the 22. Good for the guests there is the defense holding up and who is on the pitch physically he is up to the task. It is obvious, however, that with so many patches put here and there in practically every department by Pivac, one above all Josh Adams for the first time in the center, we cannot expect tested mechanisms. The Irish game plan is simple: the forwards bear the burden of breaking through for direct lines and delivering as fast balls as possible to the backs, but then when Sexton triggers the attacks, the Welsh defense tightens the shirts and, as in the case of a beautiful tackle in pairs of the centers Adams and Nick Thompkins on Garry Ringrose just before the interval, the Irish always manage to do little road. And at the break it goes 10-0.

Bonus

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The second half, however, opens exactly like the first half. A decisive Irish attack breaks through the heart of the Welsh defense, then the ball is made to travel wide to the right, Andrew Conway picks it up from a standstill and then sprints towards the flag, a tackle seems to stop him, but the winger manages to reach out to crush on the line. A violent push to Sexton with the ball far away costs Adams a yellow card and in the 50th minute the game seems to be at a turning point. A minute passes and another overwhelming attack pushes the Welsh back to the goal line, then once absorbed, it is inevitable to leave just someone offshore: for James Gibson-Park it is child’s play to catch Conway at the flag. And in the 60 ‘it is Garry Ringrose who signs the bonus: the center receives just over 10 meters from Aki and flies away, then swerves inside, slipping between two Welshmen to crush in a dive (Sexton transforms the first two, misses the third and gives way to Joey Carbery). At 75 ‘Tadhg Beirne is tackled in his 22 and from the ground instead of serving his teammate gives the ball to the Welsh flanker Taine Basham, who can escape under the posts and deservedly delete the zero from the scoresheet (transformation of Callum Sheedy). The score would not let it be understood, but the Irish victory in substance was more suffered than it should and this certainly does not leave the best impressions, especially in view of the next match that awaits the XV of coach Andy Farrell, in the home of France, when probably you could already decide a good chunk of the title.