WALES completed a notable double over Ireland when the Welsh A side emulated their Under-21 team earlier in the day by defeating Ireland A in Pontypridd last night.

But while in the afternoon Ireland were comprehensively outplayed, this match was in many respects a game thrown away, even if at the end Wales had a 20 point winning margin.

Ireland's coaching advisor Brian Ashton, an interested spectator, summed it up "That was a game that Ireland should and could have won. You make mistakes, you don't take the chances you create and you pay the penalty."

That in so many respects was the story of the night after Ireland had built a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes. They had scored two fine tries, the first by Eddie Halvey in the 13th minute, after a great line out take by Brian Cusack, and a drive to the Welsh line. Killian Keane converted.

Things got even better six minutes later when a superb run by Conor O'Shea brought play inside the Welsh 25 and a fine piece of ingenuity by outside half Niall Malone saw Niall Woods come in from the blindside wing and take Malone's pass to score under the posts. Keane converted.

At that period the Irish dominated with Mick Galwey and Cusack doing well in the lineout and the forwards driving and mauling effectively. Wales were willing before the challenge and the only inroad they made into the lead was a penalty by outside half Shaun Connor in the 30th minute. Ireland missed a chance to restore their advantage when Keane was just wide with a 40 yard penalty.

A loss of concentration just after the interval allowed Wales second row forward Vernon Cooper to sweep past two poor tackle attempts to get in by the posts for Connor to convert.

Ireland lost a great chance of a try when, with a two man overlap, Keane threw a poor pass which ran into touch.

In many respects that was indicative of much of Ireland's second half performance as they allowed Wales back into the game, committed the errors and failed to take opportunity. They won enough possession, and scrumhalf Brian O'Meara was a very good link with his forwards.

However it was Wales who revealed the ingenuity and opportunism that turned the game their way. They went ahead for the first time when prop John Davies got over for a try after a lineout and Connor converted to leave Wales 17-14 in front.

But Ireland had both time and opportunity to overhaul the tenuous lead. Three times they had Wales pinned on their line but couldn't make it pay, and then Niall Malone was wide with a drop goal attempt.

Ireland then scorned a penalty in front of the posts in an attempt to drive at the Welsh line and immediately afterwards Wales were penalised again and this time Keane was wide from in front of the posts with a penalty that would have drawn Ireland level.

Wales, responded to their reprieve and 18 minutes from the end Ireland lost possession and Wales were able to set up a try for flanker Andrew Gibbs to push their advantage to 22-14.

Now trailing by eight points, Ireland still did plenty of attacking but without conviction or subtlety. When Niall Woods hit an upright with a penalty attempt 14 minutes from time, one got the distinct impression that the game was slipping away.

Two tries from second row Paul Arnold in the last three minutes, both converted by Connor, gave Wales a flattering win.

But one must give great credit to the Welsh for capitalising on opportunity, and Ireland's rather frenetic attempts in the closing 20 minutes had anxiety written all over them as they hurried the pass or kicked injudiciously to lose ground and opportunity.

Nothing illustrates more emphatically the tenor of the match than the amount of possession that Ireland won in the second half and the fact that they failed to add to the 14 points they had scored with such constructive authority in the opening period.

. Former England captain Carling has revealed he is unlikely to go on this summer's Lions tour of South Africa even if selected. Carling, who plays for England in the Calcutta Cup game against Scotland today, said he did not want to spend so much time away from home.

"I have' to say I would doubt whether I would go, even if I was asked," he tells Radio 5 Live's Sport on Five programme which goes out today.