Ireland overwhelm ragged Wales

Ireland's Peter Stringer (centre) celebrates scoring a try with team mates as Wales' Gavin Henson (front right) reacts with disappointment. Picture / Reuters

DUBLIN - Ireland all but ended Wales' hopes of retaining their Six Nations title with an assured 31-5 victory over the champions, who looked ragged and disorganised for most of a windswept Lansdowne Road encounter this morning.

Wales started strongly and led with a Mark Jones try but, hampered by the injury loss of first five-eighths Stephen Jones midway through the first half, they lost their way badly.

The second half was one-way traffic as Ireland gradually gained control and all the chaos surrounding the Welsh team in the build-up appeared to take its toll as the visitors were left hanging on.

The win takes Ireland to four points from three games, alongside England, Scotland and France in what is developing into the most open championship for many years.

Wales, who lost to England but beat Scotland, have two points.

For all their troubles in the last two weeks, including the loss of coach Mike Ruddock and captain Gareth Thomas, Wales started brightly.

They looked to run the ball from all angles and put the first points on the board thanks to a well-judged chip ahead from centre Matthew Watkins to give winger Jones a try in the seventh minute.

Jones then limped off with a knee injury, with his replacement Gavin Henson getting a hearty chorus of boos from the home fans unhappy with his comments about Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll in his controversial book published last year.

Henson, in only his second game back after a seven-week ban for elbowing, was jeered whenever he touched the ball and struggled with his kicking as Ireland notched up the pressure.

The home side secured their first points in the 16th minute with a Ronan O'Gara penalty and went ahead 10 minutes later when Munster flanker David Wallace powered over the Welsh line.

Provincial team mate O'Gara missed the conversion but a penalty took Ireland to 11-5 after Wales were caught offside in their own 22.

Ireland reasserted their dominance early in the second half thanks to a try from Leinster winger Shane Horgan, converted by O'Gara, which stretched the lead to 18-5.

Two more O'Gara penalty kicks took the game out of Wales' reach.

Number eight Denis Leamy was yellow carded minutes before the end for unnecessary use of the boot but a ragged Wales could not make their one man advantage count.

Instead Ireland finished on the attack as halfback Peter Stringer sneaked over from the back of a ruck and O'Gara split the posts with the last kick of the game.

"There were a lot of nerves on both sides but Wales came out strongly," Shane Horgan told the BBC.

"We got a bit more ball in the second half and managed to play a bit of rugby. We had a strong base in the second half and that's the way we want to progress our game."

Wales's caretaker coach Scott Johnson said of his first game in charge. "We got beaten today by a better side but even in the last 10 minutes we dug in and we fought to the end.

"We let ourselves down with some skill handling and our errors and the loss of Stephen early didn't help us

"But we've got to hold our hands up and get back to the drawing board."

Wales's next game is at home to Italy in two weeks while Ireland host resurgent Scotland.

- REUTERS