Wales Player Ratings v Ireland

Wales' Six Nations title defence got off to a terrible start on Saturday as they were thrashed 29-7 by Ireland in Dublin.

Here is how we rated them in defeat.

15. Liam Williams - 4

A tough outing for the British and Irish Lion fullback. He was regularly put under pressure by Ireland and had flashes of brilliance but it was a tough day for the Welshman. 

14. Johnny McNicholl - 4

Wales didn't have much possession and when they did, McNicholl was unable to impose himself. 

13. Josh Adams - 3

Adams was rightfully sent to the sin bin for a silly hit on Jonathan Sexton and struggled in the centres. Looked far more comfortable in the latter stages of the game as he moved back to the wing but not his finest game in the Red jersey.

12. Nick Tompkins - 5

Worked tirelessly on defence and was caught out for Garry Ringrose's try. A high work rate but little went his way and offered little on attack.

11. Louis Rees-Zammit - 5

Kicked and defended well but it was a tough game for Rees-Zammit who looked off the pace after sustaining an injury during the warm ups.

10. Dan Biggar - 3

Outplayed by his opposing number 10 and was largely animous throughout the game. A forgettable test as he led Wales for the first time. 

9. Tomos Williams - 4

Unable to fire Wales' attack into life as Ireland made life difficult for the scrumhalf. Not all the blame lies as his feets as his service was accurate although slower due to Ireland's pressure at the breakdown.

1. Wyn Jones - 5

A sturdy performance at scrum time against Tadhg Furlong and a tidy defensive shift. 

2. Ryan Elias - 4

The Welsh lineout didn't function well throughout the game while Elias didn't make much of an impact around the mark either.

3. Tomas Francis - 4

Wales managed to keep the Ireland pack at bay at scrum time with Francis conceding and winning a scrum penalty. 

4. Will Rowlands - 5

Among the busiest tacklers with 17 but otherwise a quiet game. 

5. Adam Beard - 5

Tried to dismantle Ireland's driving maul and succeed on one occasion but was penalised too often. Work hard around the park with little success.

6. Ellis Jenkins - 4

His impact at the breakdown was nullified by the Irish pack as he failed to make a turnover, normally a highlight of his game. Made more of an impact on attack but nothing to write home about. 

7. Taine Basham - 6

Grabbed a late try with the game already firmly in Ireland's hands. Made some barnstorming carries and topped the tackle count with 20. Busy but not his best as he was outplayed by the Ireland back row.

 8. Aaron Wainwright - 4

Marked well and shutdown by Ireland with his ball carries as they managed to keep him quiet. Busy defensively. 

Replacements: 

16. Dewi Lake - 4

17. Gareth Thomas - 4

18. Dillon Lewis - 4

19. Ben Carter - 4

20. Ross Moriarty - 5

21. Gareth Davies - 4

22. Callum Sheedy - 4

23. Owen Watkin - 5