Ireland beat Wales 27-17 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 28 February 2026, a Round 4 Six Nations result that kept Andy Farrell’s side firmly in the championship hunt. The hosts controlled the contest from early in the second half, pulling clear with two late scores to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory under the floodlights.

The evening kick-off at 20:00 GMT (Dublin time), which was 21:00 CET, 15:00 EST, and 12:00 PST (Cardiff time for the travelling Welsh support), brought a charged atmosphere to Lansdowne Road. A capacity crowd of over 51,000 filled the Aviva Stadium, many still buzzing from Ireland’s dominant performance at Twickenham the previous round. That win over England had restored confidence after a shaky start to the tournament, and the players carried that momentum into this fixture with visible intent from the opening whistle.

Jack Crowley orchestrated proceedings at fly-half, finishing with 12 points from the boot and a composed kicking display that kept Wales pinned deep for long stretches. Garry Ringrose was at his elusive best in midfield, breaking the gain line repeatedly and setting up Ireland’s second try with a trademark offload out of contact. Josh van der Flier was immense at the breakdown, winning three turnovers in the first half alone to starve Wales of possession during their best period of pressure. Tadhg Beirne complemented him with a tireless shift in the second row, carrying hard and contesting every lineout with his usual aggression. Ireland’s pack collectively dominated the set piece, winning five scrum penalties across the 80 minutes and establishing the platform that allowed Crowley to dictate territory.

Wales showed spirit in patches, particularly through the electric running of Louis Rees-Zammit on the wing. He finished a superb counter-attack try in the first half, stepping inside two defenders on a 40-metre burst that briefly levelled the score at 10-10. Josh Adams added a well-taken try in the corner early in the second half, and for a spell it looked as though Wales might pull off a surprise. Their forwards competed gamely at the lineout, disrupting several Irish throws, and the visitors went into the break trailing by only three points.

However, Ireland’s superior fitness and depth told in the final quarter. Crowley slotted a penalty to push the lead to six, and then replacement scrum-half Craig Casey injected pace from the ruck to send Beirne over from close range. A further Crowley penalty sealed the deal at 27-17 with five minutes remaining. Wales ran out of ideas in attack, their handling letting them down at crucial moments, and Ireland’s defence held firm whenever the visitors tried to build pressure in the 22. The result left Ireland with three wins from four matches and in a strong position heading into the final round, while Wales faced another disappointing away defeat in a tournament that had promised more after their opening weekend.