Only the boot of Neath outside-half Lee Jarvis offered Wales A any hope and had it not been for his kicking the defeat would have been even worse. Wales A had first use of the strong wind and two penalties from Jarvis gave them an early lead. The Irish response, on the other hand, was to drive through the forwards and look to keep the ball in hand, resulting in their first try after twenty minutes.
Leinster No.8 Victor Costello made the hard yards form the base of a five metre scrum before Ulster scrum-half Neil Doak burrowed over for a try which his half back partner Paul Burke converted. Three scores from Jarvis, a drop goal followed by two penalties, in the space of five minutes regained the lead for Wales A, but that advantage was cut to a point on the stroke of half-time when Munster back row man Alan Quinlan ran in the try of the match.
It started when Ulster full back Paddy Wallace picked up the ball twenty metres out and, after the ball moved through four pairs of hands, Quinlan crossed near the posts for Wallace to convert.
With the wind at their backs the match turned into a procession of points for the Irish in the second half as they grabbed six more tries to make it a thoroughly miserable day for Wales A coach Mike Ruddock on his return to Ireland. Doak set up Ulster team mate Jeremy Davidson for a driving try four minutes after the restart, which Burke converted, and three minutes later Ireland A broke from their own 22. Costello picked up and drove off the back of the scrum, Burke featured twice in the handling movement and Leinster wing Gordon D’Arcy got the try.
John Kelly was next to cross after 55 minutes and Ulster Lions wing Tyrone Howe got the first of his brace three minutes later. There was some brief respite for Wales A when Saracens centre Tom Shanklin raced through for a solitary try after 64 mintues, Jarvis adding the conversion, but after that bright moment Mike Voyle was sent to the sin-bin.
Reduced to fourteen men for the final ten minutes Wales A conceded another fifteen points. Burke punished Voyle for his indiscretion with a penalty and then the irrepressible Wallace grabbed a try he thoroughly deserved. Then, with the final move of the match, Howe grabbed his second try and Burke brought down the curtain on a great day for the Irish with his fifth conversion.
