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Match Reaction

Match Reaction

Eddie O’Sullivan and Steve Hansen expressed satisfaction with the performance of their respective sides after the Lansdowne Road encounter.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan.
“That was our first game of the season, and it was extra hard given that it was a Test match. I thought it was a pretty good performance. OK there were mitakes but it’s hard to get through a game, particularly your first of the season, without making mistakes. We off-loaded well in the tackle, and while our scrum was sloppy at times, the line-out fired fairly well.

“These warm-up games are going to throw light on certain issues, and there were a few things today with regard to selection and in terms of how we play the game. Overall I’d have to be happy with the way things went “

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Welsh coach Steve Hansen.
“I thought there really positive things to take from the game. Our handling was poor at times, but overall, it was a good way to start these matches. You”ve got to be realistic when you asess this performance. We are not at the top in world rugby nor are we at the bottom – we are in the middle. There were one or two things on the positive side, and one or two on the negative.” As I said our handling was poor at times, but we did manage to string together some good phases, we scored two tries and with a little better application might have had a couple more. So overall I believe it was a good start to our preparation for the World Cup which is what these matches are all about.”

Ireland captain Keith Wood.
“I am pretty happy with the game in terms of it being my first one back, first test in a long time. There were some big hits in the scrums, and I got clobbered a few times around the field. It’s the little things like that you forget about when you are out of action. I know that I will be very sore over the next couple of days, but there was no bad pain.

“It’s a big step-up from training to playing, and it is going to take me another three or four games to get fully match-fit.

” I got a bit confused a few times with my line-outs calls but I was pretty pleased with my overall pefformance. Mind you, I was sucking diesel by the time I was going off. I have a bit of catching up to do very quickly.”

Ireland. G Murphy; T Howe (G D’Arcy 77), B O’Driscoll, K Maggs, A Horgan; D Humphreys (G Demspey 62), P Stringer (G Easterby 77); R Corrigan, K Wood (capt, S Byrne 68), S Best (J Fitzpatrick 62), M O’Kelly (D O’Callaghan 68), P O’Connell, A Quinlan, A Foley (D Wallace h-t), K Gleeson.

Wales. N Robinson; G Evans, J Robinson, I Harris (yc), G Thomas (capt); C Sweeney, D Peel; D Jones, M Davies (H Bennett 67), B Evans (G Jenkins 52), M Owen (V Cooper 66), G Llewellyn, R Oakley, A Popham, R Parks.

Referee: J Dume (France)