scrum blog
ESPNscrum Home ESPNscrum Home
Fan Zone
Rumour Mill
Latest News

RSS feed
Paper Round

All the latest from the world of rugby

FeedbackFeedback

« Phillips 'try' hands victory to Wales | | Best is yet to come for Wales »

March 13, 2011

Posted on 03/13/2011

It doesn’t get much better than this

There were errors. It was messy. But for sheer unadulterated tension Wales's victory over Ireland took the biscuit according to the Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford.

"Ireland can have no excuses. True, they were on the wrong end of a bad decision but this was a side hanging on in there. They did marvellously well to get back into the match but the old guard are fading and they lack the all-round edge and energy of the better sides.

"Remarkably, Ireland were 13-9 in front at half time. Remarkable because one of the more intriguing aspects of the first period was the lack of yardage gained by Paul O'Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan.

"For years O’Connell has been the go-to man up front for Ireland, with Brian O’Driscoll providing the rallying point behind. O’Driscoll still has the magic. The way he finished off Ireland’s try after Tommy Bowe had forced his way between Jamie Roberts and Alun Wyn Jones was exemplary: unfussy, accurate, clinical.

"But O’Connell now seems to be raging against the dying of the light. He still has presence, able to nick the odd line-out, but it was the bullocking runs of Bradley Davies, Roberts and Sam Warburton which were most damaging in the context of the match."

FeedbackFeedback

Recent Posts
Categories
Archives
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
espn