Wales v Ireland, Six Nations, Millennium Stadium, March 12
Ireland eye repeat win in Cardiff
ESPNscrum Staff
March 7, 2011
Ireland's Donncha O'Callghan gets to grips with Wales' Mike Phillips, Wales v Ireland, Six Nations, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, March 21, 2009
Ireland's Donncha O'Callaghan gets to grips with Wales' Mike Phillips during their Millennium Stadium clash in 2009 © Getty Images
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Wales play host to Ireland at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday in what will be the 116th meeting of the two celtic rivals since their first meeting in 1882.

Wales lead the all-time statistics with 62 victories to Ireland's 47 and the last of the six draws was 21-all at Cardiff in 1991. The most recent meeting of the two sides at Croke Park last year saw Ireland claim a 27-12 victory while they were also victorious on their last visit to Cardiff - claiming a 17-15 win in 2009 to wrap up a Six Nations Grand Slam.

Ireland set the records for the highest score and biggest winning margin of the series in their 54-10 victory in Dublin in 2002. Wales's 34-9 Lansdowne Road win in 1976 is their highest score and the 29-0 victory at Cardiff in 1907 their biggest winning margin of the series.

The most tries scored by a team is six. Wales did so in the matches of 1903, 1907 and 1920; Ireland in 2002 and 2004.

David Humphreys created the individual record for a match by scoring 22 points for Ireland in Dublin in 2002. Neil Jenkins set the corresponding record for Wales when he collected 20 points there in the 30-21 win in 1998.

The first of the four try hat-tricks recorded in the series was scored for Ireland by Robert Montgomery in the 1887 match staged at Birkenhead RFC (to save the then impoverished Irish Union travelling expenses). Johnnie Williams crossed three times for Wales in both 1907 and 1910, and the last player to perform the feat, also for Wales, was Bryn Williams in 1920.

Mike Gibson did not miss a match between 1964 and 1978, turning out a record 14 times for Ireland against Wales. Owing to political problems, the fixture was cancelled in 1972. Ieuan Evans played a dozen times for Wales between 1987 and 1997.

Johnnie Williams set the record for most tries in the rubber. During the early 1900s he crossed eight times in five matches for Wales (1907 to 1911). Brian O'Driscoll heads the Irish try-scorers on five to date.

Wales-Ireland Six Nations results:
2000 Ireland 19-23 Wales (Dublin)
2001 Wales 6-36 Ireland (Cardiff)
2002 Ireland 54-10 Wales (Dublin)
2003 Wales 24-25 Ireland (Cardiff)
2004 Ireland 36-15 Wales (Dublin)
2005 Wales 32-20 Ireland (Cardiff)
2006 Ireland 31-5 Wales (Dublin)
2007 Wales 9-19 Ireland (Cardiff)
2008 Ireland 12-16 Wales (Dublin)
2009 Wales 15-17 Ireland (Cardiff)
2010 Ireland 27-12 Wales (Dublin)

  • Click here for Wales' complete Test record in Statsguru

  • Click here for Ireland's complete Test record in Statsguru

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