Ireland v Wales - as it happened

Good afternoon. When Ireland and Wales met in last year's Six Nations the game was settled by a referee who didn't know the rules . When they met again at the World Cup in New Zealand it was the Welsh who were superior in almost every department. But Ireland are adamant that revenge is not on the agenda today in Dublin. Both sides have all the motivation they need in having a genuine opportunity to win the Six Nations outright, and nothing they saw yesterday will have worried them too much. If Ireland are to triumph today and in the championship , they will, of course, have to do so without their injured talisman Brian O'Driscoll. They will also be without O'Driscoll's replacement, Keith Earls, who withdrew from the squad on Friday as his daughter is in hospital. Many Ireland fans will feel Earls' replacement, Fergus McFadden, provides a better option at No13. If Wales are win their first Six Nations title since 2008 it will be the coming-of-age of the side that thrilled at the World Cup. It's an even more inexperienced side now that record try scorer Shane Williams has retired. But it's injuries to the front five that could be the most telling absences from Warren Gatland's side. What it all adds up to is a fascinating afternoon of rugby . And here are the teams that will do battle in Dublin ... Ireland: 15-R. Kearney; 14-Bowe, 13-McFadden, 12-D'Arcy, 11-Trimble; 10-Sexton, 9-Murray; 1-Healy, 2-Best, 3-Ross, 4-O'Callaghan, 5-O'Connell, 6-Ferris, 7-O'Brien, 8-Heaslip. Replacements: Cronin, Court, Ryan, O'Mahony, Reddan, O'Gara, D. Kearney. Wales: 15-Halfpenny; 14-Cuthbert, 13-J. Davies, 12-Roberts, 11-North; 10-Priestland, 9-Phillips; 1-Gill, 2-Bennett, 3-A. Jones, 4-B. Davies, 5-Evans, 6-R. Jones, 7-Warburton, 8-Faletau. Replacements: Owens, James, Powell, Tipuric, L. Williams, Hook, S. Williams. Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU) 2.36pm: There is no snow in Dublin on account of Ireland being a winter-less, summer-less rock in the Atlantic where the people reside in a permanent state of anything-could-happen-at-any-minute readiness in fear of something which is commonly known as 'the weather'. 2.39pm: The Wales captain Sam Warburton paints a lovely picture of his teenage years spent running through the Welsh hills dreaming of one day playing for the rugby side. This idyllic picture is tarnished somewhat when he reveals that he would have Anthrax in his headphones. His Dad is a massive metal fan, apparently. Maybe that makes the scene better? I don't know. Anyway here comes Jonathan Sexton. I'm pretty sure he has no interest in heavy metal. More of a Coldplay man I would guess. 2.51pm: The teams are on the pitch now and are being introduced to the Irish president, Michael D Higgins. We'll then have Ireland's range of national anthems and the Welsh anthem, Delilah by Tom Jones. 2.55pm: Each of BBC's pundits tips Ireland to win , so get your money on Wales then. My prediction, for what it's worth, is Ireland 19-23 Wales . So get your money back on Ireland then. 3.00pm: This Ireland team has been playing together since 1842 so it's going to take some Welsh performance to topple them. Or, to use modern rugby parlance, it's a big ask. Peeep!!!!: A shrill blast of the whistle and Rhys Priestland gets things underway with Wales playing from left to right. Perfect conditions in Dublin. 1 min: Ireland win a penalty from which Sexton fails to find touch. Wales then nearly get in an awful mess with some loose passing on their own line before some swift dance moves from Leigh Halfpenny clears the danger. 2 min: Another penalty for Ireland after Conor Murray is taken out at a ruck. Sexton will kick at goal ... 3 min: PENALTY!! IRELAND 3-0 Wales. Sexton makes no mistake slotting straight through the posts. A perfect start for Ireland. 4 min: From the first Wales lineout Bradley Davies claims and saunters through the Irish defence towards the line. The big lock is held up but Wales keep the attack alive ... 6 min: ... Wales are on the Irish line and work the ball across to the right where Phillips makes a dive for the line but is held up. They work it back to the left hand side where George North barges through the challenges but is held up by Paul O'Connell. Wales manage to cross the line through Ryan Jones but it's sent to the video ref to see if it was cleanly grounded. I don't think it was. 7 min: The video ref decides the footage is "inconclusive" and so Wales have a five metre scrum. This is a great response to going behind from the Welsh. 8 min: The opportunity is wasted by Wales as an over-eager Rhys Gill goes too early and is penalised. Jonathan Sexton clears for touch. 9 min: Wales are having nearly all the ball at the moment - 61% according to the graph that's just flashed up on the screen. Their defence is also looking very firm so far whenever Ireland manage to get ball in hand and they're keenly contesting every breakdown. 12 min: Two scrums and the result is a Wales free kick. The scrum problem is obviously going to continue in this year's Six Nations. 13 min: TRY!!!!! Ireland 3-5 WALES It's Jonathan Davies who has crossed in the corner after a stunning reverse hand off from Rhys Priestland who had sucked in two Irish defenders. It's sent to the video ref because there's a suspicion that Davies may have been in touch, but there's no chance and Wales have a deserved lead. 14 min: Priestland's conversion comes back off the post so it stays Ireland 3-5 Wales . 15 min: Paul O'Connell gets ahead of the bal at the restarts and so Wales have a scrum on halfway. The little things are going the way of Warren Gatland's side at the moment and I'm wondering why I didn't back my own instincts and have a few quid on Wales. never mind, I'm pretty sure I'm going to win Euromillions on Tuesday. 17 min: Sean O'Brien is penalised after Wales roll through a series of phases where they never looked like breaking through but this relentless defending must be exhausting for Ireland. Priestland with a straightforward kick .... 18 min: ... which he somehow contrives to smack off the post. Again. That's a big let-off for Ireland. 20 min: What a claim from Rob Kearney from a massive Sexton up-and-under. That's the Irish full-back at his very, very best. But in what is becoming a pattern of Ireland's display so far they squander the good position when Sean O'Brien knocks on. 21 min: Even Wales's back row are feeling frisky now as Ryan Jones plays a lovely chipped kick down the line which runs into touch and Ireland are under more pressure. Declan Kidney's side deal with the lineout well and Conor Murray clears. 25 min: That's great from O'Connell, who wins the ball on the Wales lineout. Sexton kicks forward, Cuthbert returns with interest. Ireland take a quick lineout but Phillips gets a hand to Murray's clearance before Priestland gathers, clips a kick across field for George North to run in to, but Sexton reads the game well and gets across to gather and clear inside his own twenty-two. 26 min: We're being shown some replays of the build-up to Davies' try. The Irish defence was dreadfully under-resourced on the blindside, and when Priestland sucked in whatever cover there was there it left Davies with a fairly simple opportunity. 27 min: Great work from Conor Murray who feeds Tommy Bowe, who is taken out after he clipped ahead. Ireland have a penalty and Sexton has a chance to put the home side back in front ... 28 min: WIDE! Ireland 3-5 Wales. Sexton's kick looks to be heading between the posts but fades away and drifts to the right hand side of the post. 31 min: Ireland turnover a Wales attack that all came from a poor up-and-under from Sexton. McFadden runs out of space on the right and can't hand-off to Bowe and it goes out for a Wales lineout. The game has gone scrappy now which probably suits Ireland. 33 min: Heaslip makes an attacking burst for the first time this afternoon. D'Arcy and McFadden then involved before Cian Healy spills the ball on the left touchline and it's a Wales scrum. 35 min: The Wales scrum goes awry and Conor Murray very nearly takes advantage for Ireland. Wales rescue the situation and Rhys Priestland eases the pressure with an almighty boot clear. 36 min: Ireland have a penalty advantage but are hoping for more ... 37 min: TRY! IRELAND 8-5 Wales. They do get something better and they have Tommy Bowe to thank. For the first real time Ireland kept the momentum going and a combination of swift hands from D'Arcy and Bowe's break created the space for Best to waddle his way to the line on the left hand side and touch down. 38 min: CONVERSION! IRELAND 10-5 Wales . Sexton makes no mistake with the conversion. "I'm no rugby expert but having watched the Calcutta Cup match yesterday and today's game I was wondering if the players should be better at catching a ball that seems to be designed to be easy to catch?" asks Niall Mullen. Mmmm, yes is probably the answer to that question. 40 min: Half time: Ireland 10-5 Wales. I'm not sure how Ireland scored twice as many points as Wales in that half but they have and looked the stronger team in the final five minutes of the half. Wales didn't make their possession count. Half time lighting of the union v league feud courtesy of Gary Naylor. "Union is a lot like League these days isn't it? If they got rid of a couple of players and created a bit of space, the games would almost indistinguishable." Injury news . Sam Warburton will miss the second half through injury, as you might have guessed from the 'injury news' kicker in bold. That's a huge blow for Wales. You probably knew that too. 3.59pm: "Drat Sexton for kicking that conversion," says Robin Hazlehurst. "I bet on Ireland winning by six here in our syndicate system, so now I need an Irish converted try to two Welsh kicks in the second half. Having gone for an Italian victory and England to thump Scotland yesterday, this Six Nations has not started well." Two changes for Wales. Tipuric on for Warburton, who has a dead leg. James Hook is on for Alex Cuthbert. Peep!!!!: We're back underway at the Aviva. Ryan Jones will captain Wales in this half. 41 min: Ireland turn over as Heaslip pounces on the newcomer Hook. There's a scrum and Conor Murray will have the put-in on the Wales 22. "His Naylorship is right about the similarity with league, but that's what forward play is supposed to be for," says Robin Hazlehurst. "A big ruck or maul or a driving scrum should remove all the forwards from the midfield and create space. All this tinkering with the laws has not improved things. Give us back the traditional massed rolling mauls I say, get the ball up the jumper and bind on and drive!" 42 min: Rhys Gill is penalised for grounding the scrum and Sexton has a chance to extend Ireland's lead ... 42 min: PENALTY! IRELAND 13-5 Wales. It's a beautiful kick from the Ireland No10 who's just inside the left hand touchline. His kick drift inches inside the left-hand post. Wales now at least two scores away from victory. 45 min: Priestland has looked a little rusty today, which is understandable given his recent injury. Gatland's gamble seems to have backfired a bit though. Gatland's gamble. That sounds like a bad 1970s detective series. 47 min: The Wales attacks are just so painfully slow and measured at the minute. They really need to inject some life and spark if they want to break through what has been an impressive Irish defence. They'll have a penalty now as D'Arcy lingers over the ball after bringing Davies' burst to a half. Rhys Priestland will kick at goal ... 49 min: ... Priestland is miles away with the kick, And I mean miles. They need a new place kicker and fast. It stays Ireland 13-5 Wales . 52 min: A lovely take from George North from a high Conor Murray kick. James Hook tries to inject some pace into the attack before McFadden is penalised for not rolling away and Wales have another penalty. They have changed kicker, and Leigh Halfpenny is going to fire at goal ... 53 min: PENALTY! Ireland 13-8 WALES. The full-back makes no mistake - it actually looks like it's going to drift wide and the right hand post but curls inside late on and Wales are in touching distance again. 54 min: A handling mistake from Tommy Bowe and Wales have the chance to mount an attack from a lineout just inside the Ireland half. 55 min: TRY!!! Ireland 13-13 WALES. What a try from Davies but all credit to George North who decimated the Ireland midfield and McFadden in particular after a long through from the lineout. Wales have turned it around in 15 minutes. 56 min: CONVERSION! Ireland 13-16 WALES . No mistake from Halfpenny. How can Ireland respond? 57 min: Ireland respond brilliantly with a fantastic catch from Kearney before Heaslip made a burst. They have a penalty advantage but want the try. Best loses possession so they'll go back for the three points. This is quite the game now. 58 min: PENALTY! IRELAND 16-15 Wales. The lead changes hands for the fifth time as Sexton knocks over a near identical kick to the last. 62 min: Ireland turnover after Wales were looking strong. For some reason Murray decides to kick but knocks it straight into touch. A poor decision from the scrum half. Donnacha Ryan comes on for Donncha O'Calllaghan. 64 min: Bradley Davies could be in trouble. Donncha Ryan is down on the ground after something off the ball. It's a yellow card . That's a huge moment in the game. Davies lifted Ryan, twisted him and dropped the Ireland substitute. It could easily have been a red. It should have been a red. It was off the ball too so there is no excuse. 67 min: Ryan and O'Connell steals the lineout - the first sign of Wales suffering without Bradley Davies. Ireland roll through the phases and are on the Wales line ... 68 min: TRY!!! IRELAND 21-15 Wales. Tommy Bowe crosses in the corner for his 20th international try. He latches on to a perfectly weighted pass from Kearney but it was Sexton who made the decision to go wide after Ireland's forwards found the Welsh door couldn't be kicked in with brute force. 69 min: Sexton misses the conversion from the right touchline. Ireland 21-15 Wales . That's exactly what you want to happen when you have a man advantage. 71 min: Wales penalised for hanging onto the ball under intense pressure from Jamie Heaslip. "These touch judges - they are obliged to know the rules aren't they?" asks Gary Naylor. In would imagine they're quizzed on them at some stage. Sexton takes his time lining up the penalty ... 73 min: Penalty missed! It was a long way out and while Sexton made the distance it didn't have the accuracy. Wales still a converted try away from victory. Tom Court comes on for Cian Healy. 74 min: From the restart it's a great take from O'Connell, who has been immense in this second half. But Ireland are penalised for holding on and Priestland launches a huge kick downfield which a stretching Tommy Bowe can't gather before it goes into touch. 75 min: TRY!! Ireland 21-20 WALES! . George North bundles through an almost non-existent Irish defence. There's some very very soft tackling there. It's sent to the video ref, who confirms what we all knew. This is a massive, massive kick for Halfpenny now. He has two from two ... 4.41pm: CONVERSION MISSED!! Halfpenny can't convert so it stays Ireland 21-20 Wales . Bradley Davies is back so it's 15 v 15 again. One of those Irish 15 is Ronan O'Gara who is one of a host of replacements to come on. 77 min: This has become an epic game - it's barely even the same sport as either of yesterday's matches. Can Wales launch one last attack? They have the ball on halfway ... 78 min: Priestland makes a mess of a pass and it's very nearly an Irish turnover. But it's a dangerous tackle from Stephen Ferris, who is shown a yellow card, for a challenge on Bradley Davies, of all people, who shouldn't even have been on the pitch. and Wales have a kick to win the match .... 79 min: PENALTY! Ireland 21-23 WALES. Halfpenny makes no mistake but it's a hugely contentious decision against Ferris. Full time: Ireland 21-23 Wales. A chorus of boos rings out at the Aviva and they're all directed at the referee Wayne Barnes for showing that yellow card and awarding the penalty to Wales right at the death. 4.48pm: To make matters worse from an Irish point of view Ferris's foul was on Bradley Davies, who should have been shown a red card rather than a yellow for his tackle on Donnacha Ryan. If Ferris's tackle was a yellow then Davies had to see red. To put them both in the same category is ludicrous. But full credit to Wales. They dominated possession in the first half but found themselves 10-5 down at the interval. The bounced back in the second half, held their nerve when Ireland came back strongly and took their chances when it really mattered. How Ireland allowed them so many opportunities when they should hve closed the game out is another question. 4.52pm: So the lead changed hands six times in the 80 minutes. That gives some impression of what the game was like. I will remind you of my pre-match prediction . Wales by four points, Wales by two points, what's the difference? Thanks for joining me for a crazy, wonderful game of rugby. I suspect the referee Wayne Barnes and his colleague in the stand are going to figure a little more heavily in the post-match discourse than they would have wanted. The result is that the Six Nations is well and truly up and running.