Here's how we assessed Andy Farrell's charges after Ireland's 31-7 victory over Wales at the Aviva Stadium in the Six Nations.
Ireland vs Wales player ratings
15 Ciaran Frawley: He got on the scoresheet with a sharp performance in place of the always excellent Hugo Keenan. He linked up well with flyhalf Jack Crowley and played the first receiver role well. He was able to beat some defenders well and one of the best compliments we can give him is that he didn't miss Keenan. 7
14 Calvin Nash: The Munster man has thrived with the responsibility of starting the first three games of the Six Nations. A nice offload got James Lowe over the line and he then made another sharp offload for Josh van der Flier. 6
13 Robbie Henshaw: He managed to keep George North's offense relatively quiet and had another solid performance. He also made good decisions with the ball overall. 6
12 Bandiaki: Ireland needed a big ball-carrier to poke holes in the strong Welsh defence, and they got it from a well-honed No. 12 who always had more than one. He was a nuisance at the breakdown and spread the ball well when needed. 8
11 James Lowe: His left peg continues to be a huge asset for the team, but he was just as impactful with the ball in his hands, gaining the most meters of any Irish player (84m). He got a well-deserved try and was mostly solid. 6
Six Nations victory over Wales keeps Ireland's Grand Slam hopes alive
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10 Jack Crowley: He was patient on offense and knew when to pull the trigger for Lowe to score. This week, he kicked well off the tee, making all five of his shots on goal, and his line kicks were solid as well. He filled Johnny Sexton's void perfectly, and this was another game that solidified his long-term status. 7
9 Jamison Gibson Park: His trademarks are crisp service from under the rack and reliable kicks. Effective display as always. 7
loose trio
8 Caelan Doris: He tied for the most tackles in the game (20) and had an incredible amount of work as he had many hands on the ball. It's a standard performance for him, but he's setting the bar incredibly high these days. 7
7 Josh van der Flier: He made a great tackle in the first half, but the flanker was sent off early in the second half. He made some good carries in the wide channels and fulfilled the requirements of his role without standing out. 6
6 Peter O'Mahony: A solid performance from the Irish captain as he celebrates his 50th Six Nations cap with victory. There was little fuss about his performance, but he also hardly screamed. 6
tight forward
5 Tadhg Bern: A gamble near his own tryline did not pay off as the officials were keen on his antics and punished him with a yellow card, giving Wales a penalty try. His culpability aside, it was another sublime performance from Beirne, capped off by a try on the final play of the game. He was busy both on the ball side and at the breakdown. 8
4 Joe McCarthy: The 22-year-old has quickly established himself in Ireland's starting XI and although it wasn't his best game today, it was still an effective one. Although he was busy defensively, he did a great job of breaking through the heart of the Welsh defense and showed some nimble footwork in the build-up to set up Lowe's try. 6
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3 tad furlong: It was his first test since his father passed away, and he was visibly emotional during the national anthem. However, he did not let his emotions get the best of him and showed strong and tidy shifts, including a big scrum. 7
2 Dan Sheehan: It was a memorable game as he scored his seventh try in the Championship after a 13-man maul, making him the highest scoring hooker in Six Nations history. For the first time this season, Ireland lost a lineout to a throw in their own half, which happened twice while Sheehan was on the pitch, once when Sheehan did it and once when he missed it. His carries are of the usual excellent standard, his defense is strong and his scrums are excellent. 8
1 Andrew Porter: Aside from some trouble in the scrum late on his shift, Ireland's looseheaders were dominant in the scrum as they were equally effective around the park. 8
Replacement: James Ryan's yellow card was disappointing for the bench, but there were significant changes in defense including Ryan Baird, Jack Connan and Oli Jaeger. 7
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