Wales vs. Ireland: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Six Nations Round 4

Wales ended Ireland's Grand Slam hopes and stayed in the Six Nations title race after winning a physical thriller 23-16.

The Welsh controlled Ireland during the first half, with Leigh Halfpenny's kicking taking them to an early 12-0 lead. The BBC Rugby Union Twitter account featured a great snapshot of Halfpenny's early dominance:

Halfpenny's ruthless efficiency contrasted with an uncharacteristically wasteful Johnny Sexton. While Halfpenny converted four kicks in a row, Sexton pulled his first wide. But he made the second count to finally get Ireland on the board.

But in open play, Sexton was a marked man. Wales consistently pushed the ball wide where they often had extra runners. With so many numbers swarming around him, Sexton was under constant pressure.

Ireland's dour approach to this tournament finally caught up with them. Coach Joe Schmidt's team entered this game as the "second-lowest try-scorers" at the Six Nations, having relied on a "low-risk kicking game," per Sky Sports.

They couldn't find the answers in this game, despite a ton of pressure and numerous phases.

The first half descended into a scrappy affair. The Three Rugby Ireland official Twitter feed captured an apt image that revealed the intense physicality of this clash:

Normally, that would suit Ireland. But the Welsh consistently won the breakdowns, with 34-year-old prop Gethin Jenkins particularly impressive.

Both teams were content to keep the ball in the air, and eventually the Irish kick-and-chase game began to hold sway. Sexton converted again to make it 12-6.

A smartly executed drop goal after some patient possession restored a nine-point advantage for the Welsh. But one more kick, another from Sexton, closed out a first half perfectly summed up by the Six Nations' Twitter feed:

BBC writer Ben Dirs felt the Irish should rue a sluggish start:

Meanwhile, BBC pundits Shane Williams and Keith Wood shared their thoughts, with the former lamenting Sexton's struggles:

Losing Jenkins to injury threatened to stunt the Welsh pack in the second half. But Rob Evans filled in well, per WalesOnline Rugby:

The game had well and truly opened up after the break. The scrum defence from both teams was outstanding. Stubborn resistance saw both nations denied at close quarters.

Rugby World Mag writer Paul Williams highlighted the sharp increase in intensity:

Then Scott Williams injected some pace to shatter the attrition. The 24-year-old inside centre slyly used Dan Biggar as a decoy to put a crack in the Irish defensive wall before speeding over the line:

But even facing an 11-point deficit, the Irish kept on coming. A penalty try reduced the gap to four, while the Welsh struggled to maintain possession and slow the game down.

Instead, their success came from forcing the issue against consistently weak Irish lineouts. That meant Ireland were often playing out from deep.

A Halfpenny penalty finally gave the Welsh the cushion they desperately needed. Then Wales stayed strong at some more lineouts with typically stout defensive work to see out the game.

BBC Sport reporter Bryn Palmer highlighted the miserly defence as the key to victory for Wales:

Meanwhile, Williams felt the quite magnificent second half served as a terrific advert for the sport:

The gruelling second half was certainly a spectacle. Both nations remain in the mix to win the title, but the Welsh have certainly shattered some of the aura surrounding this powerful Irish team.