By Conor Kelly, Date:4/8/13
A strong first half performance from the Wales Dragonhearts gave them the platform they needed to pick up a win after losing their first game to England last month.
With the sun shinning it took just three minutes for the visitors to open the scoring when Alan Pope crossed over to put his side 4-0 up.
However, this lead was short lived when Tom McKeown, who had a brief spell with the South Wales Scorpions last year, crashed over for the Wolfhounds to make it 6-4 after Andy Brace added the extras.
A tight fifteen minutes would follow before Martin Lockwell put Wales back ahead this time Paul Emanuelli made no mistake with the conversion to bring the score to 10-4.
Again the Irish would draw pull the Dragonhearts back when debutant hooker Michael Russell scooted over from dummy half to level the scores.
From here the away side began to build some momentum and two converted tries from Neil Dallimore and John Lavender would put the Welsh 22-10 up at the break.
The second half started much like the first half when Wales pushed forward and were rewarded with a try from Dan Parry who went over from close range. Again Emanuelli added the extras as the Dragonhearts looked to kick on and secure the victory.
And that’s essentially what they did on fifty minutes when winger Ian Newbury went in at the corner to put a twenty two point gap between the sides.
The game wasn’t totally dominated by the Welsh with the Wolfhounds pushing forward on numerous occasions but they failed to get any change from the Welsh defence and they found themselves further behind after sixty minutes.
Scott Britton touched down for the men in red and they were right on course for yet another win over the Irish.
Ireland continued to battle on and they were rewarded for their hard work with four minutes left on the clock as Gloucester All Golds centre Callum Mulkeen touched down in the corner to make the score 36-14.
Despite this the Welsh weren’t finished scoring as further tries from Darryl Carter and Lewis Stockton both of which were converted by Emanuelli topped off the Welsh victory.
The full time score ended 48-14 to the visitors who would have been delighted with the result as they made their way home from Limerick.
Ireland: Andy Brace, Paul Power, Columba Kelly, Callum Mulkeen, Alex Foster, Stuart Lee, James Kelly, Sean Rennison, Wayne Kelly, Tom McKeown, Tavita Taoi, Lemeki Vaipulu, Brendan Guilfoyle INTERCHANGE: Graham O’Keefe, Michael Russell, Chris Hall, Eoin King
Tries: McKeown, Russell, Mulkeen
Goals: Brace ½, Lee 0/1
Wales: Jordan Sheridan, Lewis Stockton, Alan Pope, Kyle Scrives, Ian Newbury, Paul Emanuelli, Dan Parry, Izaak Duffy, Martin Lockwell, Scott Britton, Gareth Davies, Darryl Carter, Neil Dallimore INTERCHANGE: Anthony Tillie, John Lavender, Chris True, Ian Marshall:
Tries: Pope, Lockwell, Dallimore, Lavender, Parry, Newbury, Britton, Carter, Stockton
Goals: Emanuelli 6/9
Man of The Match: Martin Lockwell (Wales)
Referee: Danny McNiece (England)
Halftime: 10-22
Fulltime: 14-48
