“They were able to throw everything at it.”
A change of head coach was the main factor in Wales’ resurgence against Ireland, following Warren Gatland’s sudden departure.
But there were other elements at play which may have spurred the home side on at the Principality Stadium.
In the build-up to the game, there was significant coverage of comments made during a panel talk on Off the Ball, where it was discussed whether Ireland could beat Wales with 13 or even 12 men.
The Welsh would have been aware of these comments, and no doubt used them to put further fire in their bellies.
And it nearly worked, as Ireland only took back their lead in the 66th minute, after which the hosts came close to scoring a late try.
After the match, Ireland lock and Munster captain Tadhg Beirne referenced comments made in the media in the build-up, and described them as “unhelpful”.
He said:
“They were able to throw everything at it.
“If we’re being honest, the Irish media back home during the week didn’t help us with some of the comments that were coming out.
“They [Wales] had a lot to prove and a lot to play for and you could see that in their performance today. They certainly put it to the wire.”
