Howe leads charge of Irish reserve army

Ireland A 55 Wales A

A second-half rush of tries from Ireland A condemned Wales A to a crushing defeat at Musgrave Park in Cork. Ireland, coached by Leinster's Matt Williams, were trailing 14-15 at half-time but re-emerged to score six tries.

Wales had started positively and, with a strong wind behind, their early dominance was rewarded when fly-half Lee Jarvis kicked two penalties. But Welsh flanker Alix Popham was sent to the sin-bin and Ireland took full advantage. Ulster scrum-half Neil Doak dived over for a 23rd-minute try, converted by Burke. Wales controlled possession, however, and Jarvis again put them in front with a drop goal and penalty. Ireland stayed in the hunt with the best move of the half just before the interval, Alan Quinlan charging over the line off a fluid move from Mike Mullins and Tyrone Howe.

Ireland got the bit between their teeth from the restart as first Jeremy Davidson crashed over on 45 minutes for a try which Burke converted, then the Harlequins fly-half showed his creative side. Burke broke from his own 22 and exchanged passes with John Kelly before putting in Gordon D'Arcy in the corner.

The tries kept coming. Kelly and Howe had a score each and, with four tries in 11 minutes, Wales had been ripped apart. After Tom Shanklin had scored Wales' try, Irish full-back Paddy Wallace and Howe completed the second-half rout with two more tries.

Ireland A: P Wallace (Ulster); G D'Arcy (Leinster), J Kelly (Munster), M Mullins (Munster), T Howe (Ulster); P Burke (Harlequins), N Doak (Ulster); R Corrigan (Leinster, capt), P Shields (Ulster), S Best (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), J Davidson (Ulster), A Quinlan (Munster), A Ward (Ulster), V Costello (Leinster). Replacements: G Hickie (Leinster), M Horan (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), T McWhirter (Ulster), B Willis (Leinster), J Holland (Munster), A Horgan (Munster).

Wales A: A Durston (Bridgend), G Wyatt (Pontypridd), T Shanklin (Saracens), G Thomas (Bridgend), S Williams (Neath); L Jarvis (Neath), G Cooper (Bath); I Thomas (Ebbw Vale), M Davies (Pontypridd, capt), A Millward (Neath), M Voyle (Newport), G Llewellyn (Neath), A Popham (Newport), G Thomas (Bath), G Lewis (Swansea). Replacements: G Williams (Bridgend), M Madden (Llanelli), D Jones (Bridgend), N Thomas (Bath), A Moore (Neath), C Warlow (Bridgend), M J Watkins (Newport).