Ireland win Grand Slam

Cardiff - Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam since 1948 after edging Wales 17-15 at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Two tries in the first six minutes of the second-half from Brian O'Driscoll and Tommy Bowe, both converted by Ronan O'Gara, seemed set to be enough to see the gritty Irish side to victory.

But Wales hit back with four penalites and a drop-goal from Stephen Jones that gave the home side a 15-14 lead with four minutes of the hard-hitting game to play.

It was left to O'Gara, whose out-of-hand kicking in the second-half proved the foundation for Irish success, to kick a drop-goal a minute later to end Ireland's 61-year drought.

However, they then survived a fraught final minute when Jones missed with a penalty attempt from just inside the halfway line.

Man-of-the-match O'Driscoll said: "It was wonderful. We took a lot of flak over the last 18 months but now we are the Six Nations Grand Slam winners for the first time in 61 years. I'm so delighted."

When asked what coach Declan Kidney said at half-time, when Ireland trailed 6-0, O'Driscoll added: "He said 'We are still in it and we've not converted pressure into points.' But we came out firing, got two quicks tries. You could not ask for a more dramatic game that that."

Both teams came out roaring and the match opened at an incredibly fast pace as the two sides sought an opening.

In a high-tempo, bad-tempered match in which there were three general dust-ups in the first frantic half-hour, defence was the early winner.

Ian Gough put in some huge hits for Wales and Ryan Jones seemed to relish being back in his preferred position of No 8 in the absence through injury of Andy Powell.

O'Gara, top scorer in Five and Six Nations history, had the chance to put Ireland ahead after just two minutes, but his penalty attempt drifted wide.

Ireland built up some steam and winger Luke Fitzgerald crossed the Welsh line in the corner shortly after only for English referee Wayne Barnes to call him back for a forward pass from man-of-the-match O'Driscoll.

Wales, with full-back Lee Byrne reasserting his British Lions credentials with an astute display until he went off with an ankle injury before half-time, battled back, Ryan Jones and centre Tom Shanklin to the fore.

Ireland prop Marcus Horan then saved what could have been a decisive break by Mathew Rees, ripping the ball from the Welsh hooker's hands with three backs lined up outside him in the 22m area.

In testament to what a hard-fought game it was, Stephen Jones scored the first points of the game in the 33rd minute, after Leamy failed to move away in the tackle, kicking over a 30-metre penalty.

A shoulder charge by Gough on Paul O'Connell handed Ireland the advantage as half-time loomed.

But a misjudged line-out let Wales off the hook, and Jones doubled the home side's tally with a long-range effort in the 39th minute after referee Barnes penalised Ireland for crossing in midfield.

The second-half started very much as Ireland would have wanted it.

Three minutes of intense pressure on the Wales line paid off when O'Driscoll buried through three tacklers for a try O'Gara converted to hand the visitors a 7-6 lead.

That was extended to 14-6 just one minute later, an O'Gara dink over the Welsh midfield picked up on the bounce by winger Tommy Bowe, who stepped Gavin Henson's despairing tackle to sprint in under the posts from 30 metres.

Jones pulled back six points with penalties in the 51st and 56th minutes after an Irish line-out infringement and a needless shove by Donncha O'Callaghan on Mike Phillips.

But Ireland continued to turn the screw, targetting dimunitive winger Shane Williams and makeshift full back Henson with an aerial bombardment that made for uncomfortable viewing for the vocal majority of the packed Millennium Stadium.

Henson failed with a 50-metre shot at goal with 13 minutes left to play as Wales tried to muster their forces.

When Phillips was dragged down after a scintillating break, the ball was efficiently recycled and Jones was on hand to land the drop goal.

But Jones was at blame a minute later when he cleared his lines straight into touch from a Phillips pass made outside of the 22m area.

From the resulting line-out and Irish pick-and-goes, O'Gara manouevred himself into the box and calmly slotted the winning drop goal.

All was not over, however, replacement Ireland hooker Rory Best straying offside and handing Jones a last-minute penalty attempt which fell short of the posts.