Tops
Pivac will be able to breathe
The relieved look of Wayne Pivac after Billie Burns' completely missed kick at the end of the match speaks volumes about the relief of the Welsh coach.
The New Zealander knew he was in danger after his team's repeated defeats in 2020, when she had achieved the Grand Slam in 2019 with his predecessor, Warren Gatland.
A few rumors from across the Channel even claimed that a setback could have been fatal.
He should now work in a calmer climate in the coming weeks.
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George North, what a heart!
Hard-wearing George North.
The usual winger, placed in the center in the absence of Jonathan Davies, managed to wake up his teammates with a good try at the start of the second half (49th).
He took James Lowe inside, as his forwards clawed their teeth on the thick Irish front curtain.
His 42nd try under the Leek jersey, in the 99th appearance at just 28 years old.
His power was also invaluable in defense, with ten tackles.
The try that took George North one step closer to equalling Shane Williams' #GuinnessSixNations tally, one more and he'll be joint third on the all-time list!
# GuinnessSixNations # WALvIREpic.twitter.com / qoz1XKMI5k
- Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 7, 2021
Ireland snatches a bonus point
Still missed for Ireland!
While Andy Farrell had lined up five survivors of the last Irish victory in Cardiff, in 2013 (Murray, Sexton, Healy, O'Mahony, Earls), she could not add a 5th consecutive victory against the XV of Leek.
Little consolation: the bonus point obtained, which could count in the balance in the perspective of the final victory.
England won the Tournament in 2020, thanks to the bonus point obtained at the Stade de France ...
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Flops
Peter O'Mahony, a rookie mistake
Control, poise, discipline.
These have always been the key words for the success of the XV du Trèfle during the Joe Schmidt era.
One of the executives of this golden team, Peter O'Mahony made a surprising mistake.
On a ruck, he got carried away and hit a Welshman on the ground in the face (14th).
The result: a logical red card after watching the video, and a premature exit that left his teammates outnumbered for 65 minutes.
The sterile domination of the Irish
Faithful to the philosophy established by Joe Schmidt and pursued by Andy Farrell, the XV of Clover stubbornly held the ball and moved the opposing front line of defense, without attempting to take initiatives in the duels, nor put speed.
If this tactic paid off in the first half, with a 13-0 inflicted on the locals, it proved unsuccessful in the second act.
Thus, Jonathan Sexton's teammates ended the match with 64% possession and even 68% occupation of the opposing territory.
All outnumbered during almost all of the meeting.
An unspectacular first day
In line with the Autumn Nations Cup, and what has been at work internationally since the 2019 World Cup, this first day of the 6 Nations Tournament showed an unattractive spectacle. to viewers.
In question, this desire to use excessive kicking to avoid slag in his own camp.
If England fell into the caricature during its defeat against Scotland, the image returned this afternoon by the Welsh and Irish is not necessarily more flattering.
And the ubiquitous physical challenge, alternating with kicking, surely did not thrill the 80 minutes of this game.
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