CARDIFF, Oct 13: Ireland kept the 2001 Six Nations championship alive n Saturday when they ground out a 36-6 victory over a disappointing Wales side.

It was an error-ridden game which saw three late tries from wingers Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan and centre Brian O’Driscoll but little exciting, running rugby.

Irish flyhalf David Humphreys put over five penalties before the break to give the visitors a 15-3 halftime lead in a game postponed from earlier in the season because of Britain’s foot-and-mouth crisis.

Hickie, Ireland’s best player along with flanker David Wallace, ran in a try from 50 metres in the 74th minute before O’Driscoll scored unopposed from 30 metres out a minute later.

Horgan dived over to the right of the posts just before the end.

Wales replied with two penalties from flyhalf Stephen Jones, one in each half.

The victory kept intact one of the most remarkable statistics in the tournament. The Irish have not lost in Cardiff since 1983.

The win also gave the Irish the opportunity of drawing level on points with tournament leaders England if they beat them in the last match of the championship in Dublin next weekend.

But the Irish have little chance of taking the title as they would have to win the game by a huge margin to clinch it on points difference.

For most of Saturday’s game they failed to sparkle in attack before the Welsh defence flagged in the last 10 minutes.—Reuters