Ireland survive Wales scare to keep Six Nations and Triple Crown dreams alive
Ireland 27-17 Wales: Dublin lit up on Friday night by Six Nations thriller
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Ireland kept their Six Nations and Triple Crown title dreams alive with a hard-fought 27-17 bonus-point victory over Wales in Dublin on Friday evening.
Andy Farrell's side crossed the whitewash four times to secure the crucial five points they needed, with Jacob Stockdale, Jack Crowley, Jack Conan and Jamie Osborne all touching down.
It wasn't the dominant display Ireland produced when they dismantled England a fortnight ago, though.
Wales made them work incredibly hard for every point.

Ireland had to fight hard to defeat a spirited Wales in Dublin
|GETTY
The win lifts Ireland to second in the table, just a single point behind leaders France, and keeps both their championship and Triple Crown aspirations very much alive.
Wales refused to go quietly, though, and showed real character throughout the contest.
Prop Rhys Carre produced a brilliant individual try – his third of this year's tournament – to bring the visitors right back into it before half-time, leaving just two points between the sides at the break.
When Jack Conan extended Ireland's lead early in the second half, James Botham struck back to keep Welsh hopes flickering heading into the final quarter.
The defeat means Steve Tandy's men have now gone 15 Six Nations matches without a win, but there were genuine signs of progress. Wales haven't won in Dublin since 2012.

Wales have now gone 15 matches without a win in the Six Nations
|REUTERS
Stockdale was clearly moved by his try, admitting it meant a great deal after some difficult years.
"That was pretty special for me. It's been a hard few years and it's nice to get back on the scoresheet on this pitch and in front of these fans, I'm very thankful for it," he told ITV.
The winger had nothing but praise for the Welsh effort, saying: "That felt like a proper Test match.
"Wales brought a lot of physicality and they're a team on the rise, they're improving massively you saw that last week and today so fair play to them."
He loved the physical battle, describing it as "a day for tackling."

Ireland's slim hopes of winning the Six Nations were kept alive with the victory
|REUTERS
So what happens next? France travel to Murrayfield on Saturday to face Scotland, with kick-off at 2.10pm. If Les Bleus secure a bonus-point win, they'll wrap up the championship with a game to spare.
Ireland's fate is therefore out of their own hands, but they'll be hoping Scotland can do them a favour before hosting the Scots themselves on March 14 in what would be a Triple Crown decider.
Wales, meanwhile, will look to finally end their lengthy winless run when they welcome Italy to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff next weekend.










