Wales 6-34 Ireland: Wolfhounds bow out with win
By Ben Proe
Last Updated: 12/11/17 12:49pm
Sheffield Cup heroes Mark Aston and John Kear went head-to-head in sweltering Perth - but Ireland bowed out of the World Cup on points difference despite a 34-6 win over Wales.
The Wolfhounds were ahead inside seven minutes; a superb sniping run from Michael McIlorum finished by Kiwi-born Api Pewhairangi, who took up much of Ireland's dummy-half work once Aston had lost Joe Keyes to a knee ligament strain, with a quarter of the game gone.
Regan Grace went close for Wales before a brilliant Elliot Kear tackle denied Liam Kay - but the favourites took control with a trio of tries inside eight minutes with half-an-hour on the clock, grabbing two in three through Oliver Roberts and Joe Philbin. Skipper Liam Finn stretched over to give Ireland a 22-0 half time lead; the Wakefield halfback finishing up with 14 points.
Wales had triumphed 30-4 the last time these two met, in the 2015 European Championship - and the Dragons were on the board four minutes short of the hour mark, as a classy offload from Queensland-born debutant Josh Ralph put Ben Morris in.
But Ireland underlined their dominance with two more tries in the final quarter; Roberts initially denied a second by video referee Robert Hicks, before crashing over with 14 minutes left.
Liam Kay added the Wolfhounds' sixth with eight to go to leave Wales still looking for their first World Cup win since 2000.
