Six Nations 2017: Wales v Ireland player ratings from the Principality Stadium
Six Nations 2023

Six Nations 2017: Wales v Ireland player ratings from the Principality Stadium

10 March 2017
Rugby Rucker
RUCK runs the rule over the Wales and Ireland teams after Friday’s Six Nations clash in Cardiff.
Who were your star performers?!… Comment at the bottom of the page!
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Wales Player Ratings v Ireland
15 Leigh Halfpenny: Showed great hand for North’s opening score – but was careless under the high ball and again not perfect from the tee. 6.5/10
14 George North: Received a lot of pre-match criticism but quietened them all with a superb brace. 8.5/10

13 Jonathan Davies: Some elegant touches but wasn’t as prominent as he’d like to be 7/10
12 Scott Williams: Very accomplished in difficult conditions. His defence was phenominal 7/10
11 Liam Williams: Powerful and committed but a lack of penetration would have been frustrating for Rob Howley. 7.5/10
10 Dan Biggar: His clearance kick almost cost Wales in the second half but he was overall decent again. 7/10
9 Rhys Webb: Lively and as always part of everything good Wales created. In the running for player of the tournament 9/10

8 Ross Moriarty: Normally to be found in the thick of the action. Good if unflashy performance. 7/10
7 Justin Tipuric: The flanker was inhuman on his 50th cap. Turnovers, tackles and fine hands made this a great day out the office. 8/10
6 Sam Warburton: Wales’ most consistent player during the 2017 Six Nations. 8/10
5 Alun Wyn Jones (c): Powerhouse first half but was less influential as the game went on 7.5/10
4 Jake Ball: Looked flat early on but showed more enthusiasm as the game went on. 6.5/10
3 Tomas Francis: Again played well. 7.5/10
2 Ken Owens: Another good ball-player. Solid enough at the lineout too. 7.5/10
1 Rob Evans: His well-timed long pass was a thing of beauty. He also scrummaged well. 7.5/10
Replacements: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Samson Lee, 19 Luke Charteris, 20 Taulupe Faletau, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Sam Davies, 23 Jamie Roberts 7/10

Ireland player ratings v Wales

15 Rob Kearney: Carried relentlessly for his team.  6.5/10
14 Keith Earls: Looked very dangerous but ultimately dailed to deliver 6/10
13 Garry Ringrose: Not the creative presence he can be. 6/10
12 Robbie Henshaw: Cost his team a certain try in the second half. Not his greatest game. 5/10
11 Simon Zebo: The winger was fierce and committed but like Earls failed to deliver. 6.5/10
10 Johnny Sexton: A sin-binning and a  few big hits on him meant Sexton didn’t have his finest game. 6.5/10
9 Conor Murray: Was battered. Looked calm and assured early on but didn’t last long enough. 5/10
8 Jamie Heaslip: Massive first half but faded a lot in the second 6/10
7 Sean O’Brien: Another torpid performance by O’Brien 5.5/10
6 CJ Stander: As always was a physical presence. 7.5/10
5 Devin Toner: Toner was part of a malfunctioning Irish line-out but was busy around the pitch, making 13 tackles. The fact it was Toner, rather than Ryan, who made way for Iain Henderson on the hour mark an indictment of a disastrous line-out. 5/10
4 Donnacha Ryan: An outstanding second-half break added gloss to grunt: Ireland’s top tackler, with 17. 6/10
3 Tadhg Furlong: Bar an ugly knock-on in the first half, Furlong’s performance was remarkable. His work rate was extraordinary, making 16 tackles. A future Lion? 7.5/10
2 Rory Best (c): The captain worked tirelessly. 6.5/10
1 Jack McGrath: 6/10
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Cian Healy, 18 John Ryan, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Peter O’Mahony, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Paddy Jackson, 23 Tommy Bowe 5/10