Wales fell just short of defeating Ireland in Dublin on Friday night, losing 27-17
Wales once again took a big step forward in terms of performance, even if they came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard in Dublin.
Few had expected victory over Ireland in their fourth Six Nations fixture, but a defensive masterclass gave them hope heading into the final quarter. In the end, it wasn’t quite enough as the wait for a win in the tournament goes on.
But, as was the case with the Scotland game, there was certainly more good than bad.
With that in mind, here are the winners and losers…
Winners
Rhys Carre
There’s nowhere else to start but the loosehead prop.
You cannot escape where Rhys Carre’s Test career had been – with Warren Gatland selling shares in him in the most humiliating fashion.
Yet where Gatland failed, Tandy has succeeded.
Three tries in as many games has more than justified Carre’s reintroduction to Test rugby. A 50-metre effort against Italy wouldn’t go amiss.
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Alex Mann
James Botham was tireless in Dublin, while Aaron Wainwright once again showed he’s Wales’ best carrier and perhaps their most important player.
But it was perhaps Alex Mann who produced the most impressive performance in the back-row. The stats show he made 32 tackles – a Six Nations record.
He was just tireless, throwing himself into green jerseys – while his intercept on the line saved a certain try.
Continues to grow at Test level.
Dewi Lake
Just crucial to this Welsh team. At the start of this tournament, there were some concerns over his form.
He perhaps wasn’t at his best for the Ospreys – as much down to the burden he has carried for club and country over the last couple of seasons as anything else – while he had a tough afternoon in Twickenham.
Yet he has responded superbly.
Made the most dominant tackles by a Welsh player, while he carried more than anyone else in a white jersey.
Steve Tandy
When Wales were conceding an average of 50 points per game, many were quick to point out that head coach Steve Tandy had a distinguished reputation as a defence coach.
It wasn’t always paired with the fact that Tandy, as Wales’ new head coach, didn’t have a full-time defence coach in his staff yet. But the implication was always that you’d expect Wales’ rear-guard efforts to be better under the Tonmawr product.
So, now they are, give Tandy his dues.
This defence is starting to be shaped in his image. As a result, Wales look a much more competitive outfit.
Ben Carter
The Dragons lock is going to end this Six Nations as a part of Wales’ first-choice second-row pairing and it is thoroughly deserved.
Before the Scotland match, the criticism of Carter would have been that he’s shown brief moments for Wales, but rarely warranted a starting place.
How that has changed. Up there in the tackle count once again, while the lineout was fairly solid.
Eddie James
Is he a 12 playing 13? Perhaps. Would he be better off at inside centre? You can make that argument.
But give James credit where it’s due. He’s quickly learning the ropes at outside centre and looking good for it.
Ireland did a good job of wrapping him up with ball in hand compared to Scotland, but he relished the defensive work – pressing high and making some good reads.
Losers
Welsh half-backs
Tomos Williams and Dan Edwards were both OK in Dublin. Not amazing, but not awful either.
The problem in Welsh rugby is that you can rarely be OK – instead you have to be either a hero or a villain.
When it comes to both of them, people tend to go overboard with their opinions. With Williams, there’s probably an element of tall poppy syndrome that is just inherent in Welsh rugby.
Having been one of two Welshmen on the Lions tour last year, some seem ready to write off the 31-year-old. Just as he’s not the Messiah when scoring highlight reel tries for Gloucester, he’s not a silly boy when trying to make a mark at Test level.
Scotland showed that when Wales’ attack is clicking, he’s usually the one pushing the tempo. People seem to ignore the fact Wales’ red-zone efficiency is built upon his range of passing.
Dublin saw him less impactful around the fringes – with Ireland making enough of a mess of the breakdown to put pressure on him.
And, obviously, the yellow card blotted his copy book.
It’s a similar tale for Edwards. The Welsh 10 jersey only tends to attract extreme ends of the spectrum when it comes to opinions – more so when it’s flitting between playmakers from the Scarlets and Ospreys.
Edwards is still early in his career and there’s plenty to learn. He’s had a tough break in this tournament in terms of the games he’s started.
Long term, he’ll be better for all this.
Louis Rees-Zammit
There was an early 50:22 to give Wales territory, but it was a difficult match for Louis Rees-Zammit to get involved in.
He made just five carries in Dublin – never looking like he was about to cause any problems for the Irish defence. Defensively, he’s perhaps looking a little fallible at full-back, too.
There’s an argument the 15 jersey doesn’t get the Bristol flyer into the game as much as it should. But he had more carries than both of Wales’ wings, Josh Adams and Ellis Mee.
So the answer probably isn’t as easy as shifting him back to the position he’s played most often for his country.
How Wales will get the best out of him remains to be seen.
Kieran Hardy
When Tomos Williams was sin-binned, Kieran Hardy might have been hoping he’d be brought on for another of Wales’ backs – so Wales could at least end the game with a scrum-half on the pitch.
However, that wasn’t how it panned out for the Osprey halfback.
Instead, he watched on from the bench as Wales’ hopes of victory slipped away.
