Wales player ratings: Rhys Carre adds to tally with ‘thing of beauty’ try while 32-tackle player shows his worth
Wales prop Rhys Carre scored again.
Following a 27-17 defeat to Ireland in their Six Nations fixture at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday, here are our player ratings for Wales.
15 Louis Rees-Zammit: A decent first carry but ultimately struggled to significantly penetrate the Irish defence. Rees-Zammit deserves praise for how he bravely denied Jamison Gibson-Park as the last line of defence on 68 minutes. 6
14 Ellis Mee: Defensively solid in the early knockings, and a brilliant kick chase resulted in a key turnover for his side. Didn’t see a great deal of ball to hurt Ireland, though. 6
13 Eddie James: An imposing figure in the Welsh midfield as he threw his body into green shirts and looks to be growing in confidence with every game, much like his team-mates. 15 tackles is a more than admirable shift. 7
12 Joe Hawkins: Impressively solid with and without the ball. The centre held his own against one of the Six Nations‘ best players this year and looks to have locked down this Wales jersey for the long-term. His subtle touches before contact are a feature of his game. 7
11 Josh Adams: Always hunting for work as he has done all Championship but the final execution let him down at a key moment, with his pass for James Botham on the left wing not finding his flanker. 6
Ireland claim maximum to keep Six Nations title dream alive but improved Wales make them sweat
10 Dan Edwards: Clobbered by Nick Timoney with first touch and followed that up with an overcooked kick and missed tackle on Jacob Stockdale for the game’s first try. Recovered admirably, though and was solid thereafter in all facets. 6
9 Tomos Williams: Crucial to Wales getting back to being a match for the heavyweights of the Test game, and Williams was typically classy and on point with his core duties tonight. The only blemish was a yellow card for a cynical offence at a ruck when Ireland were banging on the door. 7
The forwards
8 Aaron Wainwright: As has been the case all Six Nations, Wainwright emptied the tank for the cause with carries and tackles galore. The number eight finished on 17 hits before he was replaced by Olly Cracknell after 45 minutes. 7
7 James Botham: Went about his business in an impressive Welsh back-row and eventually got his reward on 63 minutes, barging over from close range to pull side back within two points. Defensively, though, he more than earned his corn, finishing with a whopping 26 tackles. 8
6 Alex Mann: A thorn in the side of Ireland at the breakdown, and as half-time loomed, his gamble to rush out off his try-line to pinch a Gibson-Park pass paid off. That was the tip of the iceberg in terms of Mann’s impact defensively, though, as he topped the game chart with an unbelievable 32 (thirty two)! 9
5 Ben Carter: Could do little to stop Jack Crowley getting on his outside for the try and was workmanlike all night as the lock also chipped in defensively, finishing on an impressive 19 tackles. 7
4 Dafydd Jenkins: Never stopped in Dublin. What an engine this youngster has. 27 tackles is staggering, and he also won a turnover for his side in a game that saw his Test reputation take another jump. 8
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3 Tomas Francis: Another solid performance at the set-piece from Francis as he played close to an hour tonight and is forming a real solid coalface trio in the Welsh front-row. 6
2 Dewi Lake: So abrasive around the field and won a fine turnover with a quarter of the game played. The skipper is simply talismanic and his numbers demonstrate that. 23 tackles to go with 14 carries is ridiculous for a hooker. What a warrior. 8
1 Rhys Carre: Wales’ chief try scorer this campaign was denied on 23 minutes after being held up over the line. There was no stopping him on the stroke of half-time, though, as the sight of Carre sprinting over from 30 metres was a thing of beauty. Beat three defenders in all tonight, and it was a tad surprising he was withdrawn so early in the piece. 8
Replacements: A decent shift from the bench as the front-row continued the good work of the starters, Nicky Smith in particular catching the eye. Elsewhere, Cracknell was a willing carrier as he racked up an impressive 14 that was the third most in the game.