The Triple Crown is in the cabinet, and a Grand Slam is still alive for Ireland, but Simon Easterby's side were given an almighty scare by Wales at the Principality Stadium.
Trailing 18-10 early in the second half, the defending champions had to dig deep to keep their three-in-a-row drive going, with Sam Prendergast kicking 17 points in total, while Jack Conan and Jamie Osborne got in for tries.
Here’s how we rated the Ireland players in Cardiff.
Jamie Osborne – 6.5
It was a mixed bag by Osborne on his Six Nations debut, and his try in the second half got Ireland back level. He carried 13 times, more than any other player, but a poor pass to Garry Ringrose in the first half cost Ireland a try, and that came shortly after a rushed clearance kick. Wales almost scored a try when he got sucked inside defensively in the first half, but a sloppy pass from Jac Morgan spared him.
Mack Hansen – 7
Connected nicely with Sam Prendergast off a crossfield kick and showed quick feet to get his own kick away, which pinned Wales back in the first half. Could have scored a second half try before being held up. Made the crucial tackle on Ellis Mee which prevented a late Welsh try.
Garry Ringrose (below) – 4
Will be hugely disappointed with his red card, which could see him miss the remainder of the championship. Got his timing all wrong, and it’s hard to argue with the colour of the card. His positive moment was a 50:22 early on, which led to the opening try.
Robbie Henshaw – 7.5
The form centre in Ireland right now, and continued that with another impressive display. Carried 10 times, and almost every one of those were with real intent. Won a vital penalty in Ireland’s half when they were trailing 18-13 on 51 minutes, which kept the Irish momentum up, and he chipped in with 14 tackles.
James Lowe - 7
Put Ireland’s try on a plate for Osborne when he leaped to get onto Gibson-Park's crossfield kick. Excellent work-rate as always and has mastered the delicate kick and chase down the touchline, two of which led to big territorial gains for Ireland. The second of those gave Ireland the platform from which they moved 21-18 ahead.
Sam Prendergast – 6
Kicked 15 points, and his final penalty came under real pressure. Arguably came up with the game-changing moment with that 50:22 which led to Osborne’s try. Will be hugely frustrated with the second Welsh try though, where he had a bad knock-on and a misread on defence. Also pulled a clearance kick out on the full in the final 10 minutes, which invited pressure on Ireland.
Jamison Gibson-Park – 8
Brought the energy when Ireland really needed it, and his delicate chip to the corner for the second Irish try was perfectly weighted. His quick handling laid the platform for Jack Conan’s try, and his kicking overall was excellent.
Andrew Porter – 6
Like many, it was a mixed day for Porter. Ireland’s scrum had been motoring well in earlier games, but two of the four scrum penalties today came on his side of the setpiece. His overall play in the loose was strong though and he put in a big 70-minute shift, combining for 24 tackles and carries.
Dan Sheehan – 7
Played close to the full 80 minutes, and while he didn’t have any explosive moments, he got through a lot of work, making a combined 20 tackles and carries. From a captaincy point of view, he never panicked and the decisions to kick for the posts and keep the scoreboard ticking over with three-pointers rather than going for tries was ultimately vindicated.
Thomas Clarkson – 5
Started the game well with a couple of good, powerful carries, but struggled against veteran Nicky Smith at the scrum, giving up two penalties. Came up with a try-saving tackle late in the first half, but it was in vain as Wales scored shortly after.
Joe McCarthy – 6
A rampaging carry early on led to Jack Conan’s try, but his impact wasn’t as big as hoped – taking into account the 10 minutes he had to step away for a head injury assessment. Discipline is still an issue with a needless penalty given away when he grabbed Taulupe Faletau in the air at a lineout, when Ireland had pinned Wales into the 22.
Tadhg Beirne – 7
Wasn’t as proficient with his carrying as he normally is, but was a menace around the breakdown, and forced a couple of turnovers, the second of which effectively killed off the game. Very active behind the ball, with 14 tackles.
Peter O’Mahony - 8
Had to dig into the energy reserves for a rare 80-minute game, but his experience was crucial, especially on defence where he had led the tackle count with 18. Also looked to get onto the ball with some carrying. Stood up when Ireland really needed it today.
Josh van der Flier – 7
Led the charge for that big counter-ruck in the final 10 minutes, which allowed Prendergast put Ireland into a two-score lead. Had to play a good chunk of the game at number 8 following Jack Conan’s injury at half time, although he was well-marshalled by Wales whenever he got on the ball.
Jack Conan – 7.5
Will be hugely annoyed to limp off injured after what had been an excellent first half. Showed incredible strength to hold off Tomos Williams for his early try, and had a hefty 10 carries and 10 carries before his untimely exit.
Selected replacements:
Jack Boyle (above) – 7.5
Maybe an inflated rating given he only played 10 minutes, but Ireland were under real pressure when he came in for his debut, and one of his first acts was to help win a scrum penalty in his own 22. He’ll enjoy that as much as a try. Was also very active defensively in that short period.
Finlay Bealham – 7.5
Shored up the Ireland scrum in the second half and was solid on defence with four tackles.
James Ryan – 6.5
Played 25 minutes across two different cameos, and while he didn’t log much in terms of tackles and carries, he rolled up the sleeves and did the hard work around the breakdown and setpiece.
Ryan Baird – 6.5
A late call-up in place of Cian Prendergast, who missed out due to illness. There was one annoying penalty for a neck-roll on Tom Rogers when Ireland had got some momentum midway through the second half, but had an otherwise steady contribution, with a handful of carries, mixing in some passing.
Bundee Aki – 8
Made six carries and had five tackles in his 30 minutes, and while those numbers are solid without being spectacular, Aki’s arrival in the second half seemed to change the energy of this Irish team. Came up with the penalty that pushed Ireland out to a six-point lead. Will be back in the starting team for France.
