THE BLOOD WAS pouring down the front of Bundee Aki’s previously white jersey. Sweat drenched his face, and a black circle was sprouting under his right eye. You could be forgiven for thinking the Ireland centre missed yesterday’s flight to Cardiff and had spent the previous 24 hours running, swimming and fighting his way over land and sea to make it to the Principality Stadium.
In reality, the Connacht player had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes, but his presence was felt even before he’d finally been sent in to bring Ireland back to 15 men. With Garry Ringrose dismissed with a yellow card, later upgraded to red, Ireland were on the ropes. Simon Easterby’s team were five points down and under the pump, having started well before finding themselves battling against a resurgent, doggedly determined Welsh effort.
As Ireland waited for the 20-minute red card spell to end, Aki could be seen smiling on the bench, the only Irishman in Cardiff who seemed to be enjoying himself. On 52 minutes he was cleared to enter the battle and gladly threw himself straight into it, making a game-changing contribution as Ireland clawed their way out of a shock defeat to keep their Grand Slam ambitions alive.
Every gut-busting intervention came served with a massive roar. His best was on 68 minutes, forcing a huge jackal penalty on halfway which allowed Sam Prendergast step up to kick Ireland six points clear.
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Ireland trailed 18-13 when Aki entered jogged on. After they had eventually pulled through to win 27-18, Aki was left to roam the pitch alone with the Triple Crown in his hand. The victor with his spoils.
Aki celebrates with the Triple Crown. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Ireland’s bench has stepped up across this Six Nations – Jack Conan, Dan Sheehan and Jack Crowley against England; Conan and Crowley again in Edinburgh. Today Aki led that charge, with Ryan Baird and Finlay Bealham also making massive contributions after ditching their bibs.
How Ireland needed it. This was one of those rollicking Six Nations games in which Ireland did lots of things poorly, and lots of things well.
First the bad. Four scrum penalties conceded in the first half, in what was a tough first Test start for Thomas Clarkson. Better accuracy in the Wales 22 would also have gone a long way toward making this a more comfortable afternoon – with Jamie Osborne’s miscued pass wide to Ringrose the most gilt-edged chance to go begging. Add in a bumpy experience for Prendergast, who will have been relieved to see a late kick to touch go unpunished.
The Ireland 10 enjoyed better moments across a mixed display, with his sublime spiralled 50:22 the highlight. It was the play that changed the game. That perfectly-judged kick led to Osborne scoring Ireland’s second try on 55 minutes – a wonderfully-executed score, with Jamison Gibson-Park using penalty advantage to clip a kick wide for James Lowe, who rose to bat the ball back inside for Osborne under pressure.
Prendergast kicked a brilliant 50:22. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
It felt a long time since Ireland’s first got the scoreboard moving, Jack Conan using his power to slam the ball over the line one-handed. At that point, six minutes in, Ireland were carrying hard and looked too strong and slick for their hosts, who as we all know, had failed to win any of their previous 14 Tests.
Ireland appeared primed to build on Conan’s score, but the second wave never arrived. Instead it was Wales who played the brighter rugby. Gareth Anscombe brought the desired sense of calm on his reintroduction to the 10 shirt, while another veteran, Taulupe Faletau, may as well get fitted up for his Lions tracksuit now. At the other end of the scale, Ellis Mee brought energy on his first Test cap and Blair Murray made some sharp contributions at fullback, his slicing run opening the door for Tom Rogers’ to dive over for Wales’ second try minutes after the restart.
On another day Wales win this game. Six points down approaching the final five minutes, Mee was inches away from scoring their third try, rolling the ball forward with his fingertips agonisingly short of the tryline. Mack Hansen deserves credit for his efforts in the tackle. So too Jack Boyle for his shove in the resulting scrum – the Leinster prop’s first involvement in Six Nations rugby. Championship moments.
Taulupe Faletau was superb for Wales. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
What threatened to be a miserable Six Nations for the Welsh now has life. Take the same spirit away to Scotland and at home to England on the final weekend, and they might just creep away from the bottom of the table. The problems that have dogged Welsh rugby for years remain and the long-term picture hasn’t changed, but in the here and now, they are in a better place than they were two weeks ago.
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Can the same be said for Ireland? Only time will tell. If this performance arrived earlier in the championship it would have been framed as a worrying continuation of the problems that plagued their November campaign. Instead, with the buffer of those encouraging wins against England and Scotland to their name, it can be viewed as a team winning a dogfight on the road. Great teams win games when they’re not playing well, and Ireland have just walked away from a game they arguably should have lost with a Triple Crown in the bag.
Battered and bruised, they stand two games away from Six Nations history.
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Bloodied and bruised Bundee Aki helps dig Ireland out of a hole
THE BLOOD WAS pouring down the front of Bundee Aki’s previously white jersey. Sweat drenched his face, and a black circle was sprouting under his right eye. You could be forgiven for thinking the Ireland centre missed yesterday’s flight to Cardiff and had spent the previous 24 hours running, swimming and fighting his way over land and sea to make it to the Principality Stadium.
In reality, the Connacht player had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes, but his presence was felt even before he’d finally been sent in to bring Ireland back to 15 men. With Garry Ringrose dismissed with a yellow card, later upgraded to red, Ireland were on the ropes. Simon Easterby’s team were five points down and under the pump, having started well before finding themselves battling against a resurgent, doggedly determined Welsh effort.
As Ireland waited for the 20-minute red card spell to end, Aki could be seen smiling on the bench, the only Irishman in Cardiff who seemed to be enjoying himself. On 52 minutes he was cleared to enter the battle and gladly threw himself straight into it, making a game-changing contribution as Ireland clawed their way out of a shock defeat to keep their Grand Slam ambitions alive.
Every gut-busting intervention came served with a massive roar. His best was on 68 minutes, forcing a huge jackal penalty on halfway which allowed Sam Prendergast step up to kick Ireland six points clear.
Ireland trailed 18-13 when Aki entered jogged on. After they had eventually pulled through to win 27-18, Aki was left to roam the pitch alone with the Triple Crown in his hand. The victor with his spoils.
Ireland’s bench has stepped up across this Six Nations – Jack Conan, Dan Sheehan and Jack Crowley against England; Conan and Crowley again in Edinburgh. Today Aki led that charge, with Ryan Baird and Finlay Bealham also making massive contributions after ditching their bibs.
How Ireland needed it. This was one of those rollicking Six Nations games in which Ireland did lots of things poorly, and lots of things well.
First the bad. Four scrum penalties conceded in the first half, in what was a tough first Test start for Thomas Clarkson. Better accuracy in the Wales 22 would also have gone a long way toward making this a more comfortable afternoon – with Jamie Osborne’s miscued pass wide to Ringrose the most gilt-edged chance to go begging. Add in a bumpy experience for Prendergast, who will have been relieved to see a late kick to touch go unpunished.
The Ireland 10 enjoyed better moments across a mixed display, with his sublime spiralled 50:22 the highlight. It was the play that changed the game. That perfectly-judged kick led to Osborne scoring Ireland’s second try on 55 minutes – a wonderfully-executed score, with Jamison Gibson-Park using penalty advantage to clip a kick wide for James Lowe, who rose to bat the ball back inside for Osborne under pressure.
It felt a long time since Ireland’s first got the scoreboard moving, Jack Conan using his power to slam the ball over the line one-handed. At that point, six minutes in, Ireland were carrying hard and looked too strong and slick for their hosts, who as we all know, had failed to win any of their previous 14 Tests.
Ireland appeared primed to build on Conan’s score, but the second wave never arrived. Instead it was Wales who played the brighter rugby. Gareth Anscombe brought the desired sense of calm on his reintroduction to the 10 shirt, while another veteran, Taulupe Faletau, may as well get fitted up for his Lions tracksuit now. At the other end of the scale, Ellis Mee brought energy on his first Test cap and Blair Murray made some sharp contributions at fullback, his slicing run opening the door for Tom Rogers’ to dive over for Wales’ second try minutes after the restart.
On another day Wales win this game. Six points down approaching the final five minutes, Mee was inches away from scoring their third try, rolling the ball forward with his fingertips agonisingly short of the tryline. Mack Hansen deserves credit for his efforts in the tackle. So too Jack Boyle for his shove in the resulting scrum – the Leinster prop’s first involvement in Six Nations rugby. Championship moments.
What threatened to be a miserable Six Nations for the Welsh now has life. Take the same spirit away to Scotland and at home to England on the final weekend, and they might just creep away from the bottom of the table. The problems that have dogged Welsh rugby for years remain and the long-term picture hasn’t changed, but in the here and now, they are in a better place than they were two weeks ago.
Can the same be said for Ireland? Only time will tell. If this performance arrived earlier in the championship it would have been framed as a worrying continuation of the problems that plagued their November campaign. Instead, with the buffer of those encouraging wins against England and Scotland to their name, it can be viewed as a team winning a dogfight on the road. Great teams win games when they’re not playing well, and Ireland have just walked away from a game they arguably should have lost with a Triple Crown in the bag.
Battered and bruised, they stand two games away from Six Nations history.
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