We rate Ireland’s players individually after a sorely disappointing night in Wellington. Thankfully, there were a few glimmers of light on what was a dark day overall.
Rob Kearney
Looked to counter-attack at any given opportunity and always looked eager to get his hands on the ball. Like a lot of the Irish team, he kicked waywardly on occasion, but considering his lengthy injury absence, he can be very happy with his World Cup overall.
Rating: 7
Tommy Bowe
It wasn’t his fault, but he never really got the chance to cut loose as he had done so often against Italy last weekend. The defeat will be particularly galling for Bowe given that he’ll never hear the end of it when he returns to the Ospreys and to his (pretty hot) Welsh missus.
Rating: 6
Brian O’Driscoll:
A couple of pieces of typical defensive brilliance in the first half and he seemed to be at the heart of Ireland’s all-too-brief revival at the start of the second when putting a lovely kick into the corner that eventually led to Earls’ try.
Knocked on at a crucial moment when Ireland went close when chasing the game, but the captain was one of Ireland’s better performers on what was probably his last ever performance at a World Cup.
Rating: 7
Gordon D’Arcy
One opportunistic break aside, D’Arcy was ineffective and unfortunately we saw a return to the lumbering D’Arcy of recent times as opposed to the player that looked as if he might be back to his old self last week. Badly at fault for Phillips’ try in the second half, his days in the Irish number 12 jersey look numbered.
Rating: 5
Keith Earls
Recovered from an early knock on to get heavily involved and was certainly Ireland’s most dangerous attacker throughout. Took his try with aplomb, very nearly got another one later on and also survived a sickening-looking clash of heads with man mountain Jamie Roberts. Probably Ireland’s best player on the night
Rating: 8
Ronan O’Gara:
Bitterly disappointing. We knew he was going to be targeted by Wales, but we never thought he’d be nullified so effectively. Strangely, his kicking was awry and his passing was also off key. Showed character to nail an extremely difficult conversion, but the writing was on the wall from an early stage and it was no surprise when he was eventually called ashore.
Rating: 5
It didn’t happen for Ronan O’Gara on the night, and boy did he know it
Conor Murray
Perhaps unfairly compared with Mike Phillips beforehand and he will have learned plenty from his opposite number, not least the opportunism showed for the second half try. Never really imposed himself on the game, but bear in mind that this was only his third start in a green jersey.
He has plenty of better days ahead.
Rating: 5
Cian Healy
There was plenty of hype about Healy in the build-up and unfortunately he failed to justify it on this occasion. Got penalised in the scrum on a couple of occasions and was one of a number of retreating Ireland defenders who failed miserably to get to grips with Jonathan Davies for Wales’ third try.
Rating: 5
Rory Best
For a man whose participation was in doubt going into the game, the Ulster hooker was absolutely magnificent. Prominent all over the park and bar a couple of loose throws, he was excellent in the set-piece. Confronted Wales with an abandon belying his condition and deserved better than to go out with such a whimper.
Rating: 8
Mike Ross
Ross was his usual solid self in the scrum, but it was not an area where Ireland dominated and the Leinster prop is rarely too involved in the loose exchanges. Still, the galvanising effect he has had on the Irish scrum over the last year has to be lauded.
Rating: 6
Donncha O’Callaghan
Tried manfully as ever, but was part of a pack that was outmuscled by a more physical opposition. Showed beautiful hands during one movement in the first half, but was rolled over in the tackle by Jamie Roberts as well. As it was for so many of his colleagues, it didn’t happen for big Donncha on the night.
Rating: 6
Paul O’Connell
One of the few Irish players to consistently make yards in the tackle, but Paulie couldn’t deliver the big performance that we seem to require for Ireland to do well. Decent at lineout time, but like O’Callaghan, he couldn’t impose himself on a pack that was far better on the day.
Rating: 6
Stephen Ferris
What Ferris had done in the competition to date was already beyond our expectations and perhaps it was asking too much for him to go to the well one more time. Still managed a few trademark carries in the first half, but looked flat and maybe even injured in the second. It’s still good to have him back.
Rating: 6
Sean O’Brien
His clash with Warburton was signalled as one of the key battles before the game and it has to be said that the Welsh captain won this one hands down. Managed a couple of magnificent turnovers, but never got a chance to carry the ball as he has done so effectively in the competition to date. In fairness to O’Brien, the Welsh targeted him mercilessly and he can look back on an excellent tournament from a personal point a view.
Rating: 6
Jamie Heaslip
A disappointing end to a disappointing tournament for the Leinster man. He was good against Italy, but he seemed to have been struggling in the shadow of Ferris and O’Brien all tournament and he couldn’t step up to the plate when his back row colleagues were muted on the night. Being pushed out over the touchline from ten yards in the first half summed up his night and maybe even his tournament.
Rating: 5
Subs
Eoin Reddan was desperately unlucky that his excellent break close to the line at the death wasn’t rewarded with a try. Apart from that, himself and Jonathan Sexton tried to run the ball as often as possible, but at that stage, Wales were content to pin Ireland back into their own half time and time again.
The rest of the subs weren’t on long enough to be rated.
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