Despite talk in the build up of Wales going through grueling and brutal training sessions at altitude and in warm weather to get themselves into the best possible shape for the start of the World Cup, it was Ireland who showed up looking sharper at the Millennium Stadium today.
They dominated play, and while it must be noted that Wales looked sluggish and off the pace, putting in a lackluster performance overall, there were a number of players in Joe Schmidt's experimental team that have given themselves a serious chance of travelling with the final squad.
The best player on the pitch today was Keith Earls, which was rewarded with the Man of the Match award, and like any other previous occasion when he's pulled on the green jersey, he put in a fantastic performance. His speed, sharpness and awareness shone through against a Wales team that looked a bit heavy-legged, especially in the first half, as Ireland looked to be in complete control.
Earls's sharpness was typified when he reacted to a huge hit by Andrew Trimble and he sprung into action first, scooping the ball up and turning on the pace to cross the line for a brilliant try. He was also involved in an earlier try that was finished off by Darren Cave, who also played well today. Earls' change of direction and pace off the mark allowed him to fool a couple of Welsh defenders and break away from three tacklers, before being held up just at the line.
That type of footwork and skill is something that Ireland lacked in the Six Nations, particularly against Wales, and while they were able to go through phase after phase they really lacked a cutting edge. While Earls might not be starting, he's surely placed himself on Joe Schmidt's radar now, even if it just to come off the bench and bring something unexpected to the game.
Richardt Strauss played extremely well also, and while he was taken off during the first half for a concussion check, he returned shortly afterwards to resume his place and get through a huge amount of work. While he didn't make headlines with huge tackles or explosive moments, he did his job to a tee, something that Schmidt values hugely in his players. He was everywhere he was needed today, and didn't set a foot wrong for the entire time that he was on the pitch.
©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Felix Jones also got himself on the score sheet today, and was another player who demonstrated great awareness. In contrast to Ireland's constant struggles to score a try during the Six Nations, today they looked very dangerous on almost every attack, and Jones was a large part of that. It was Simon Zebo's excellent pass that opened the channel up for him to get in for the try, but he was in the right place at the right time to receive it, and had shown great persistence throughout the game to make sure he attacked with real decisiveness and the type of electric pace that the Welsh defence simply couldn't handle.
©INPHO/Billy Stickland
While Schimdt may not call on these players to start, going on what they showed today (albeit in a match where the opposition lacked any real intensity) it would be foolish not to include them in the squad. The injuries to Andrew Trimble and Tommy O'Donnell are hopefully not as serious as they appeared, but they too would be in the frame for Schmidt ahead of the start of the tournament proper if they're fit.
There was one standout player today though, and as Brian O'Driscoll pointed out in advance of the game, Earls only needed a solid performance today to be more or less assured of his place in the squad. He went above and beyond, and surely cannot be excluded now.
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