Match Quotes: Wales 32 Ireland 20

Ireland failed to rain on Cardiff’s Grand Slam parade on Saturday, despite splitting four tries with the hosts. Afterwards, Eddie O’Sullivan simply summed it up as “Wales’ day.”

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan: “This was Wales’ day, no doubt. They got a few breaks at important times but I don’t want to take anything away from their performance. They deserve their Grand Slam.

“Mike (Ruddock) has done a fantastic job. We knew we had to play out of our socks to win. It was a tough one to lose but we didn’t deserve to win it. Wales are the team of the championship and worthy winners.”

Wales coach Mike Ruddock: “The France game was the defining moment for us. We had our backs against the walls and were playing the reigning champions.

“We showed great character and played with skill to come back and get the win. After that I thought there’s a chance that we will do the Grand Slam, although I didn’t want to talk it up.

“We should give credit to Ireland and the character they showed. They fought back and scored two tries. We couldn’t rest until the final minute. They kept going until the final whistle.”

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll: “I’m thoroughly disappointed but you have to take your hat off to Wales – they wanted it more. They capitalised on our mistakes and were very clinical, the sign of a good side.

“They have got progressively better throughout the Championship and deserve their Grand Slam.

“We were behind so threw caution to the wind and it worked, but it doesn’t always happen like that. Sometimes you can end up losing by more.

“I’m proud that we never gave up and that we scored those tries in the second half. We showed guts and pride because we didn’t want to be humiliated.”

Wales captain Michael Owen: “This was a massive win for us and is reward for all the hard work we’ve put in over the last two or three years. There have been a lot of people involved in the process so it’s great to have a day like today to celebrate.

“We knew it was a massive occasion. We just wanted to make sure we didn’t let ourselves down. We saw all the fans on the way to the ground and knew it was going to be a special day.”