Ireland cruise past Canada

Ireland got their World Cup campaign off to a flying start with a dominant, eight-try display in Cardiff that saw them run rampant over Canada, 50-7.

Despite a spirited and combative display from a Canadian team picked by many to finish last in this year’s Pool D, Ireland’s bonus-point victory had been ensured before half-time having scored 29 unanswered points to open the game.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will have none of the concerns his English counterpart Stuart Lancaster will hold after both nations’ opening fixtures, with both the Irish pack and backs looking sharp, effective, dangerous and in thorough control from start to finish.

Indeed Ireland were a threat to score from virtually all over the pitch on Saturday afternoon with Schmidt’s team seemingly a threat to score every-time they had the ball regardless of the situation.

Following Jamie Cudmore’s yellow-carding for playing the ball on the ground on 13 minutes, Sean O’Brien was the beneficiary of a powerful rolling maul that split the Canadian defence that allowed the Leinster flanker to touch down for Ireland’s first try after an early Johnny Sexton penalty.

From there, Ireland were never in danger of being caught. Lock Iain Henderson capped a magnificent first-half display with his first international try, a close-range effort to push Canada’s deficit to 17-0 after 24 minutes.

However Cudmore’s return to the field did not alleviate the Irish onslaught with Sexton demonstrating the lethality of the Irish backline by capping a delightful give-and-go with O’Brien to score in the corner only three minutes later.

And Ireland had their try bonus-point secured after 35 minutes with a flowing set-piece move off the back of yet another threatening rolling maul which allowed Dave Kearney to score virtually unopposed on the right wing.

With the final result all but decided, Ireland’s momentum slowed after half-time with Ireland’s decrease in defensive intensity allowing Canada to retain considerably more possession and field position. Canada’s perseverance was to almost pay off just after the hour mark with Cudmore dotting down in the corner only to have play pulled back once the lock was adjudged to have been in front of Fly-half Nathan Hirayama’s cross-field kick.

And Ireland retaliated almost immediately with Sean Cronin scoring from close range following a scything break from centre Jared Payne, pushing the score to 36-0, eliminating any faint hopes the Canucks had off a miraculous comeback.

Canada’s sole respite from a suffocating Irish gameplan was to come in the form of an intercept try from the very impressive DTH Van der Merwe who stole a pass on the half-way line before speeding away unimpeded for Canada’s solitary score.

However Hirayama’s subsequent conversion on 67 minutes was to be the last time Canada were to threaten as Ireland rounded off an impressive afternoon at the Millennium Stadium with two late, well-worked counter-attacking tries; a first for Rob Kearney following a fantastic inside pass from Ian Madigan, with Jared Payne rounding out the scoring on 75 minutes to take Ireland past the half-century mark for a resounding round one win.