Wales have hauled themselves back into contention for the Six Nations championship with an all-action performance that has robbed Ireland of their Grand Slam dream.
Given their abysmal record against the Irish in Cardiff, the hosts were not expected to derail their visitors’ charge to a clean sweep, but on an emotionally-charged afternoon that’s what they did.
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Replacement centre Scott Williams provided the decisive try, but their victory owed as much to a colossal defensive effort to deny Ireland early in the second half.
Wales also had to play with 14 men twice as Sam Warburton, and then Jonathan Davies saw yellow at the end of each half, but Wales were able to hold on, just.
Ireland came into the game as deserved favourites given their form over the last 18 months, but spurred on by an electric atmosphere, Wales tore into them from kick-off.
The men in green were rendered shell-shocked as early indiscretions at the breakdown were penalised with six points from the boot of Leigh Halfpenny.
Joe Schmidt’s championship leaders had conceded just 16 penalties in their own half in three previous games – a tournament low – but they would concede two more before the quarter-hour as Wales built a 12-0 lead.
The hosts’ joy was tempered slightly as Samson Lee departed proceedings on a stretcher, and sucking from an oxygen mask, having fallen badly awkwardly at a scrum.
However, the prop would emerge on crutches and wearing a protective boot on his left foot, and he would be joined on the sidelines by his captain, as Warburton was shown a yellow card for not rolling away. He could have few complaints as referee Wayne Barnes had made his distaste of that offence clear from the first whistle.
Johnny Sexton had got Ireland on the scoreboard by then with a penalty, and he would narrow the deficit further with another three points to make the score 12-6.
However, Wales refused to cave and won a penalty from their first scrum with seven forwards. A sensible period of possession from the home side led to a Dan Biggar drop goal but Sexton would bring the visitors to within six once again with a third penalty.
Warburton returned to the field just before the break, and the skipper would have been delighted that his team-mates had preserved their advantage.
Wales lost Gethin Jenkins to injury at the break, with Rob Evans coming on for his senior Wales debut.
Ireland set about using their experience and amassed a massive 45 phases either side of a penalty that Rob Kearney kicked to the corner.
Jamie Heaslip and Conor Murray both threatened the line but Ireland couldn’t break through the red wall and when Barnes blew his whistle for a Wales penalty the feeling of relief was palpable.
The Millennium Stadium rose to a man, aware of the significance of that passage of play, and the home players fed off the energy. Within minutes they were in the opposing 22’ thanks to a fine break from Davies, and after both Toby Faletau and Rhys Webb found their path to the line blocked, Scott Williams danced inside Tommy Bowe and darted for the line.
A game that had ebbed and flowed was not done yet though and Ireland’s decision to kick to the corner was rewarded with a penalty try.
Sexton added the extras but with a little over five minutes to go, Halfpenny extended Wales’ lead to seven. Ireland needed more than a converted try to save the Grand Slam, but they came up just short.
