Ireland Player Ratings - versus Wales
The RugbyPass Index was spot on tipping Wales to seal the Grand Slam deal, its pre-game percentages suggesting the odds were tilted 67 to 33 in favour of the hosts.
In reality, the gap between the sides was even more of a chasm as Ireland nearly fell to their worst margin of defeat ever in the Joe Schmidt era.
That record had stood at -23, the gap when they lost in Cardiff to Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, and but for Jordan Larmour’s 83rd minute try, there would have been new benchmark of a 25-point loss set back in the Welsh capital.
Even worse, they were nearly humiliatingly held scoreless for the first time since New Zealand kept them to zero when hammered in Hamilton in 2012 when Declan Kidney was still at the helm.
Not only did their ill-disciplined 7-25 defeat leave Wales succeeding them as Grand Slam champions, it also ensured that Warren Gatland’s championship record in charge of Wales finished better off than Ireland’s under Schmidt. The win allowed Gatland to sign off with a 72% success record, 36 wins in 50 Six Nations outings, compared to his Kiwi rival’s 70% for 21 wins in 30 spring matches.
(Continue reading below…)
Ireland had been a shadow of their 2018 selves throughout the 2019 championship, their poise shaken and stirred by England pouncing for that explosive try in the opening minutes of the opening game in Dublin.
They thought they had rediscovered some semblance of form with their victory last Sunday over struggling France. However, teams on a six-day turnaround in this championship more often lose their next match and this was the case here, Ireland never recovering from the concession of Hadleigh Parkes’ try just 69 seconds after the start.
The inability of the Irish pack to wield an influence made a mockery of Ireland’s insistence that the Principality Stadium roof remained open. The wet conditions threw them completely out of synch and they were second-best all through in the rain.
WAL 25-7 IRE
Wales have done it! Capturing the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam in Cardiff with their 14th win on the bounce.
Diweddglo chwedlonol i'r ymgyrch Chwe Gwlad?, wedi ei sefydlu ar waith caled a chyfeillgarwch.
??????? #HWFN #ForTheJersey pic.twitter.com/nA5XgpNLEz
— Welsh Rugby Union ??????? (@WelshRugbyUnion) March 16, 2019
The insipid manner of the loss will now generate fears that Schmidt has lost his vice-like grip on the squad as Ireland’s dip in performance has coinciding with the coach announcing at the end of 2018 he will be stepping down after this year’s World Cup in Japan.
He will pause for breath first, though, and will need to be forensic in his review of this abject performance where the accuracy and intent of far too many Ireland players left much to be desired. Here’s how RugbyPass rated their second-rate efforts…
15. ROB KEARNEY – 5
A last-minute cry-off last Sunday in Dublin, he endured a worrying start in Cardiff as he drifted to the right in the opening-minute penalty advantage play for Wales. The hole he left was exploited by Gareth Anscombe’s kick over the top for Parkes to score. Kearney arrived too late to get in a try-stopping hit. The defensive door did shut after that, but an irreversible pattern for the match was set.
14. KEITH EARLS – 6
Josh Adams should have been carded for illegally taking the legs from under him on a early chase. He made a tidy catch on 26 minutes as Wales rushed a clearance to keep Ireland on the attack in the spell ruined by CJ Stander’s quick-tap debacle. He also saved a try on 60 minutes with his chase back to tidy up a kick ahead at the expense of a five-metre scrum. Did his basics well unlike so many others.
13 GARRY RINGROSE – 4
The over-the-top Irish media love-fest with this guy in the wake of last Sunday’s win over France set him up for a major fall. The truth about his display six days ago was that he was defensively shy when it came to tackling and while he wasn’t found out in that sector here, there was no redeeming contributions elsewhere on this occasion. His best-forgotten display was summed up a late loss of possession near the Wales line.
Congratulations @WelshRugbyUnion on a fantastic performance and Grand Slam.
Thank you to all our supporters who are with us through the good days and the tough ones.
A very tough day today. #TeamOfUs #WALvIRE pic.twitter.com/vb6HdFoJJA
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 16, 2019
12. BUNDEE AKI – 4
Was shown up for being completely static and heavy-footed in failing to turn quickly enough to defend Anscombe’s chip over the top for the try. He coped much better with a second kick through, grasping the possession and shipping an illegal blow from Gareth Davies that left the referee reversing a penalty award. Could never rise above the collective average, though, and was left scrapping for scraps firmly in the shadow of the Parkes, the superior Kiwi midfielder.
11. JACOB STOCKDALE – 5
Was tackled into touch on taking the kick-off and then beaten in the air near the end of the opening half by Dan Biggar when he should have gathered. He did take a brilliant catch from Johnny Sexton’s seventh minute cross-kick penalty and while he eluded Davies, Parkes’ flying tackle floored him and dislodged the ball. Featured little in the second half.
10. JOHNNY SEXTON – 4
Was back to looking a pale shadow of the influence who topped the charts all through 2018. Was penalised for sealing off after a Stockdale take led to a ruck. Then gave Anscombe his shot to make it 10-0. His petulant end to the first half, where he angrily threw the ball away after the Irish scrum coughed up another penalty, was followed by a terrible opening to the second half where he kicked balls out on the full and over the dead ball line. He then signed off with a silly mix-up on a switch play with Kearney. Needs a long look at himself in the mirror.
9. CONOR MURRAY – 4
Looked a troubled soul for the entire 70 minutes he was on the field, fuelling rumours that the neck injury he had at the start of the season really has impacted on his confidence and restricted the range of his usually world-class contribution. Two first-half incidents summed up his current negativity – a 30th minute knock-on when lineout ball squirmed loose and then a kick that went out on the full eight minutes later after Ireland brought the ball back inside their 22. He also lost control near the Wales try line on 57 minutes.
1. CIAN HEALY – 5
Struggled at the outset for precision in the wet. It was his knock-on that killed Ireland’s first visit to the Welsh 22 and while he redeemed himself quickly by forcing a Davies spill, he gave up an offside penalty on 10 minutes. Come the second-half, he was harshly penalised on 47 minutes for Wales to go 19-points clear and was pulled from the fray by the 59th minute.
Record-breaking 14 wins in a row and yet another Grand Slam for Warren Gatland in his final #GuinnessSixNations match #legendary pic.twitter.com/4LWRoTJy6D
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 16, 2019
2. RORY BEST – 4
Will look back on this outing with a heap of regrets. The Ireland skipper needed to get his team to start well and they didn’t. He had his own issues at the lineout in terms of accuracy and he will be chastened that his normally squeaky-clean side gave up eight penalties in the first-half. Looked like he is in need of a decent break to ensure he can peak for his World Cup farewell.
3. TADHG FURLONG – 5
One of those afternoons where his usual high level of influence disappeared amid the collective rot that was an Ireland pack that failed to fire a proper shot. There were scrum penalties that will cause annoyance, as will an offside that also cost points. He’s another player who played through the championship with the appearance of a top-class operator in need of a battery recharge.
4. TADHG BEIRNE – 5
His inclusion for a first Six Nations start had left the Welsh seriously worried due to his turnover ability at the breakdown, a skill he had honed during his stint at Scarlets. He gave his pack some great encouragement on 12 minutes when he pilfered ball at the ruck away from Ken Owens, but he didn’t have enough support on other occasions to successfully made a few more raids. His influence gradually waned and the loss of a ball when tackled on 59 minutes by Adam Beard was his last act.
5. JAMES RYAN – 6
Can’t be happy that his first occasion at calling the Irish lineout didn’t come off perfectly. However, the youngster offered so much in other facets that he became one of the rare few shining lights on a dim day in Cardiff. He was the guy in the Irish pack who made more metres than anyone else, a sign of his refusal to give up amid going that was the toughest he has experienced during his short professional career.
6. PETER O’MAHONY – 5
Looked to have potentially made a big early impact when his arrival at a Stockdale ruck resulted in the injury that ended George North’s match. However, that was about as influential as his influence got on a day where the Irish back row just didn’t have the sufficient fight within them to withstand the winning Welsh momentum.
7. SEAN O’BRIEN – 3
Axed after anonymous effort in Rome, Josh van der Flier’s French injury opened the door for him to take on a Gatland-coached side for the first time since his incendiary Lions training comments. However, he was painfully gone from the scene as early as the 52nd minute to be replaced by Jack Conan. He cut an anonymous figure, his sluggishness apparent from the opening act as he couldn’t sprint up quick enough to cut down Anscombe’s angle for the try-creating kick. His best days look a long, long way away.
8. CJ STANDER – 4
A machine six days earlier, the Welsh saw him coming all day long in the Cardiff wet. There were some glaring errors. There was the terrible mistake on 28 minutes of making a mess of a quickly tapped free. He then soon failed to grasp ball at the front of the lineout, and was also to blame for the 53rd minute penalty that allowed the Welsh to go 22 points clear. Physically, he didn’t have the necessary penetration.
Comments on RugbyPass
Best team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
68 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real speech. They claim free speech. The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
68 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
28 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
68 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
28 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
68 Go to comments