Wales coach Warren Gatland admitted he had no excuses after watching Ireland maul the two-time defending Six Nations champions at Lansdowne Road. The visitors suffered their worst tournament defeat since 2006 and took 56 minutes to score, with Leigh Halfpenny's penalty alone helping them avoid a humiliating whitewash in a comprehensive 26-3 loss on Saturday. Defeat dealt a huge, but not fatal, blow to Wales's hopes of becoming the first side to win three successive outright Six Nations titles. Ireland's tactics 'surprised' Gatland, the New Zealand-born coach admitted, but ill discipline and a lack of effectiveness at the breakdown also cost Wales dearly.
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