Ireland have kicked off their Six Nations campaign with a dominant 29-7 victory over defending champions Wales in Dublin.
The hosts set the tone early when Bundee Aki went over for their first try after just three minutes at the Aviva Stadium, and Ireland rarely let up for the remainder of the match.
Blustery conditions made kicking difficult for Johnny Sexton in the first half, but he did manage to add a penalty as Ireland went into half time with a 10-0 lead.
Andy Farrell's side began the second half just as quickly as they had the first too, with Andrew Conway going over shortly after the interval and then adding a second try seven minutes later to put Ireland in complete control.
The second of those tries came shortly after Josh Adams had been sent to the sin bin for a reckless shoulder charge on Sexton, and his absence effectively ended any fading hopes of a Wales comeback as Ireland capitalised on their numerical advantage.
Garry Ringrose also crossed during Adams's time in the bin, wrapping up the bonus point for Ireland with less than an hour on the clock.
Wales did get a consolation score of their own when Taine Basham intercepted from Tadhg Beirne and touched down under the posts, but it was far too little too late as their title defence began with a whimper.
Wales will host Scotland next weekend, while Ireland make the trip to fellow title hopefuls France.
Barney Corkhill
