Ireland crush Wales in Cardiff for opening Six Nations victory

Warren Gatland's return as coach can't stop world No 1-ranked Irish recording easy win

Ireland players celebrate their Six Nations win against Wales in Cardiff on February 4, 2023. EPA

Ireland underlined their status as the world’s top team and Six Nations title favourites by crushing Wales 34-10 in Cardiff on Saturday.

Warren Gatland’s return as Wales coach had no fairy-tale script, with Ireland inflicting a considerable dose of reality.

They had the game won by half-time through tries from No 8 Caelan Doris, lock James Ryan and wing James Lowe – a 70-metre interception score – while captain Johnny Sexton kicked three conversions and two penalties.

Wales, 24 points adrift at half-time, were vastly improved in the second period and Ireland did not score between the 27th and 72nd minutes, but the damage had already been done and flanker Josh van der Flier’s late try, converted by Ross Byrne, secured a bonus point.

Full-back Liam Williams scored a try for Wales – he was also yellow-carded in the second half – and Dan Biggar added a conversion and penalty, yet they never threatened to prevent Ireland from claiming a first Six Nations victory on Welsh soil since 2013.

Ireland, the world-ranked number-one side, host France next weekend in a game that could shape the title’s destiny, while Wales head to Edinburgh for an appointment with Scotland when Gatland will demand an immediate response.

It was another defeat after a miserable 12 months that featured humiliating home losses to Italy and Georgia under Gatland’s predecessor Wayne Pivac, while off the field the Welsh Rugby Union has been rocked to its core by sexism and discrimination allegations in the organisation.