Wales 23 Ireland 16

Warren Gatland’s men produced their best performance since being edged out by South Africa in Nelspruit to edge a stunning Test match between two quality sides.

It was a game that was everything that we hoped it would be; stunningly intense and brutal with every player, whether in red or green, showing incredible commitment and determination.

Thankfully it was not the turgid encounter that one had feared – while it may not have flowed like a Super Rugby encounter it was tense, tight and nervy with awe-inspiring defence.

Captain Sam Warburton was superb yet it was former Newport Gwent Dragons lock Luke Charteris was the star of the show with over 30 tackles, none missed.

It was a victory to show that Wales have come a long way since spluttering against England in the opener but it came at a cost with props Samson Lee and Gethin Jenkins forced from the field along with centre Jamie Roberts.

The blow to Scarlets tighthead Lee was particularly nasty, the front row forward needing oxygen after going down in the game’s first scrum before being stretchered off and later emerging with his foot in a moonboot.

The 22-year-old has become a vital figure in the Welsh pack and his departure is sure to lead to more calls for Gatland to ask Lions veteran Adam Jones to reconsider his international retirement in World Cup year.

Wales made stupendous start, stressing the Irish with their intensity, power and width.

Their reward was a pair of penalties by Halfpenny, the second after he had magnificently claimed an up and under to enable centre Jonathan Davies to go on the charge down the left.

And the full-back was on target with a booming effort from inside his own half to make it 9-0 with 11 minutes gone after superb work at the breakdown by loosehead Gethin Jenkins.

Wales kept the scoreboard ticking with another Halfpenny three-pointer after 13 minutes but the momentum was stalled by the Lee injury.

Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton pulled an effort he would normally slot over with ease but made no mistake to get the visitors on the scoreboard after a high tackle by hooker Scott Baldwin.

Paul O’Connell & Co, ranked third in the world, had woken up and opted to go to the corner rather than the sticks with a penalty as the game entered the second quarter, bringing backs into an extended lineout, only for captain Sam Warburton to pick off Rory Best’s rather wobbly throw.

But the skipper, leading his country for a record 34th time, was sin-binned on the half hour for going off his feet at the contact area minutes after referee Wayne Barnes had warned both teams about their discipline, an offence that allowed Sexton to make it 12-6.

However, Wales showed composure while a man down to first eat up some clock with a driving lineout and then set up a Dan Biggar drop goal after pick and drives.

The nine-point buffer didn’t last long with a high tackle allowing Sexton to make it 15-9 before the return of Warburton and the half-time whistle.

Ireland had the momentum in the second half and it took some stunning Welsh defence to repel a brutal 32-phase attack.

The green wave kept coming and once again the hosts had to dig deep to defend their line as the lungs burned with the eventually penalty greeted with cheers from the home faithful normally reserved for a try.

Nonetheless, Wales had to find a way of changing the flow and they were inches away from doing so when Jonathan Davies burst into the 22 only for Biggar’s pass to be too high for Halfpenny on the left wing.

Suddenly it was the Irish clinging on – and they couldn’t with the pressure eventually leading to Scott Williams, only just on for Jamie Roberts, crashing over on the hour.

Halfpenny was wide with the conversion and the visitors, 20-9 down, were straight on the attack as they attempted to salvage their Grand Slam only for powerful loosehead Cian Healy to drop the ball on the line.

However, it was game on again with 11 minutes left when Wales dragged down a driving lineout with Sexton converting the penalty try to make it 20-16.

Halfpenny stretched the lead with a three-pointer with five minute remaining to put the visitors’ Grand Slam hopes on the brink.

But there was late drama when Jonathan Davies was pinged by Mr Barnes for a deliberate knock-on earning a yellow card and the chance for Ireland to go to the corner with two minutes left.

Wales somehow held on, leaving them to go to Rome with a shot at the title.

It will need a bit of help from Scotland and France but to even be in the running after 80 incredible minutes is an achievement.

Wales: L Halfpenny, G North, J Davies, J Roberts (S Williams 59), L Williams, D Biggar, R Webb (M Phillips 68), G Jenkins (R Evans 40), S Baldwin (R Hibbard 56-78), S Lee (A Jarvis 12), L Charteris, A W Jones (J Ball 71), D Lydiate (J Tipuric 68), S Warburton (captain), T Faletau.

Scorers: try – S Williams; penalties – L Halfpenny (5); drop goal – D Biggar Ireland: R Kearney, T Bowe, J Payne, R Henshaw, S Zebo, J Sexton (I Madigan 75), C Murray (E Reddan 62), J McGrath (C Healy 56), R Best (S Cronin 62), M Ross (M Moore 62), D Toner (I Henderson 62), P O’Connell (captain), P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip (J Murphy 71).

Scorers: try – penalty; conversion – Sexton; penalties – Sexton (3)

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Attendance: 73,950

Argus star man: Luke Charteris