Wales Crash To Six Try Defeat Against Rampant Irish

IRELAND 54, WALES 10
HT: 24-3
ATT: 48,800
Ireland notched a Lloyds TSB Six Nations record score against Wales as they followed up their 36-6 victory at the Millennium Stadium in October with an even more convincing win in Dublin.
There were six Irish tries to savour to make it 10-1 in two games against Wales in the space of five months.
Ireland were always in control once Wales gifted them first use of the strong wind.
By half-time the home side had scored two tries and were 24-3 clear. Not only that, Wales had lost their line-out specialist Chris Wyatt after six minutes and centre Jamie Robinson after nine.
It was one of the most comprehensive and clinical victories ever witnessed in three season’s of the Six Nations Championship and proved Ireland, despite being without four first choice players, are likely to be a match for title favourites England, their next opponents.
Irish outside half David Humphreys, whose younger brother Ian had played for Ireland Under 21 against Wales the previous day, was voted Lloyds TSB Man of the Match for the way he controlled the game and his boot accounted for 14 of the first half points as he kicked four penalties and converted the sixth minute try by Geordan Murhpy.
Debutant lock Paul O’Connell grabbed the other score when he was driven over from a 23rd minute line-out, although eight minutes later a head wound ended his contribution.
The points Wales managed into the wind was an injury time penalty from 40 metres by Stephen Jones and even with the wind they conceded the first points in the second half when Murphy ran in his second try after great approach work by John Hayes, Peter Clohessy and Kevin Maggs.
Humphreys added the conversion and then kicked two more penalties to stretch the lead to 32-3.
Jones was then driven over for a consolation try, which he also converted, but the rampant Irish came up with three more tries with which to crown a great performance.
Wing Denis Hickie grabbed the first and then replacement flanker Keith Gleeson crowned his debut with a try at the posts only two minutes after coming onto the field.
Ronan O’Gara added the simple conversion and then the Munster stand-off dummied his way over for the sixth and final try.
SCORERS: Ireland: Tries: G Murphy 2, P O’Connell, D Hickie, K Gleeson, R O’Gara; Cons: D Humphreys 2, R O’Gara; Pens: D Humphreys 6. Wales: Try: S Jones; Con: S Jones; Pen: S Jones.
IRELAND: Girvan Dempsey (Leinster); Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Kevin Maggs (Bath), Denis Hickie (Leinster); David Humphreys (Ulster), Peter Stringer (Munster); Peter Clohessy (Munster), Frank Sheahan (Munster), John Hayes (Munster); Mick Galwey (Munster, CAPTAIN), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), David Wallace (Munster), Anthony Foley (Munster)
Replacements: Shane Byrne (Leinster) for Sheahan 72; Paul Wallace (Leinster) for Clohessy 72; Gary Longwell (Ulster) for O’Connell 31; Keith Gleeson (Leinster) for Galwey 72; Guy Easterby (Llanelli) for Stringer 76; Ronan O’Gara (Munster) for Humphreys 74; Rob Henderson (Munster) for Hickie 74.
WALES: Kevin Morgan (Swansea); Dafydd James (Bridgend), Jason Robinson (Cardiff), Iestyn Harris (Cardiff), Craig Morgan (Cardiff); Stephen Jones (Llanelli), Rob Howley (Cardiff); Spencer John (Cardiff), Robin McBryde (Llanelli), Chris Anthony (Newport), Craig Quinnell(Cardiff), Chris Wyatt (Llanelli), Nathan Budgett (Bridgend), Martyn Williams (Cardiff), Scott Quinnell (Llanelli, CAPTAIN).
Replacements: Barry Williams (Neath) for McBryde 69; Duncan Jones (Neath) for John 56; Ian Gough (Newport) for Wyatt 6; Dwayne Peel (Llanelli) for Howley 56; Andy Marinos (Newport)9.
LLOYDS TSB MAN OF THE MATCH: David Humphreys (Ireland)