Ireland got their Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start was they blew defending champions Wales away with a 29-7 win in Dublin.
Bundee Aki got them up and running in the early minutes, and while Wales kept it tight until half-time, Ireland ran away with it after the break.
Andrew Conway got his first, and added his second with a simple finish as Wales struggled to cope down to 14 men after Josh Adams was sent to the bin. Garry Ringrose secured the bonus point to cap off a perfect afternoon for the Irish, and even Taine Basham’s late try did little to dampen the mood.
It was a lightening quick start from Ireland as Aki went over for the first try of the Six Nations within three minutes. With the freedom of a penalty advantage, it was worked wide to Mack Hansen and he had Aki on the overlap who went over in the corner.
Johnny Sexton added the extra two points, but was unable to get the better of the wind with his next couple of penalties as the kicks drifted wide of the posts.
Wales gifted him another chance in front of the posts though, and the fly-half made no mistake to make it 10-0.
Towards the end of the first-half, Wales started to slow Ireland at the breakdown and enjoy some territory of their own. But they didn’t make the most of their time in the Irish 22, as they went into the break ten points behind.
Conway produced a wonderful finish from a standing start early in the second-half, as he just about stretched enough to reach the line, before Sexton added an incredibly difficult conversion.
It got worse for Wales shortly after, when Adams was sent to the bin for ten minutes for a shoulder into Sexton’s chest, and Ireland made the most of the extra man as they flung it wide to Conway to stroll over in the corner as Ireland moved 24-0 in front.
Wales fumbled the ball in their own half and Ireland quickly pounced, Sexton sending it wide to Aki who found Ringrose. The centre had Conway on his outside, but went by himself and burst through the tackles to dive over the line for Ireland’s fourth try and earn the bonus point.
A loose pass from Tadhg Beirne enabled Wales to get on the board in the closing minutes, through Basham, but it had no impact on the outcome as Ireland set themselves up impressively for next week’s trip to Paris.
