Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park said Friday’s Six Nations win over Wales was “scrappy” but they “got what we were looking for”.
The 27-17 bonus-point win keeps Ireland’s slim hopes of winning the title alive and they will face Scotland in their final game with a chance of reclaiming the Triple Crown.
Wales, who are winless in the Six Nations since 2023, pushed Ireland all the win but Jamie Osborne’s try and a Jack Crowley penalty helped Andy Farrell’s side over the line in Dublin.
“We have to give some credit to Wales,” Gibson-Park said after the game.
“I thought they were pretty good tonight and they made a proper Test match out of it.”
Gibson-Park won his 50th Ireland cap in the win in Dublin and said he was “hugely grateful” to reach the milestone.
The 34-year-old joined Leinster from Hurricanes in his native New Zealand in 2016 and became eligible to represent Ireland three years later.
He made his Irish debut in 2020 and has helped Andy Farrell’s side to two Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2023, and he also featured for the British and Irish Lions.
“I was nearly 29 when I debuted for Ireland, so if you had asked me then how it was all going to unfold then I would have had no idea,” he said.
“I’m pretty grateful to get to this point.”
Gibson-Park said he “wasn’t really in the picture” for an Ireland cap when he first became eligible in 2019 due to the form of Conor Murray, but he took his opportunity when he got it.
“I probably wasn’t getting the game time [at Leinster] to push for a spot, but it just so happened throughout the Covid year I got a chance.
“At that time we were probably struggling as a team as well but we gained a bit of momentum to get things going.
“Things clicked around November 2021 and that’s when things really took off.”
