"Bundee Aki getting treatment there. His nose is mangled."
During one of the few injury treatment breaks - when everyone could catch their breath - at the Principality Stadium, on Saturday, Ireland's medical team were trying to staunch the blood flow on the nose of Bundee Aki.
The Ireland centre was caught by the BBC cameras, as the final 50 seconds of the visitor's 20-minute red card punishment (against Garry Ringrose) ticked down. Aki sat behind Ringrose on the Irish bench and was laughing. Ireland had just won a lineout and were not far off being restored to 15 men. They were only five points behind against a rabid Welsh side.
And there was Aki [footage here] with his yellow bib on. Laughing.
"Does Bundee Aki know he's about to come on?" asked commentator Andrew Cotter. "Oh, he knows," former Wales star Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies observed.
50 seconds before he was about to launch off the bench, here's Bundee absolutely raring to go 😅
What a gift pic.twitter.com/vUVOikKT72
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) February 23, 2025
It felt unfair to Wales, who had played superbly for 50 minutes. They had thrown every kitchen appliance at Ireland and had earned that lead. In past years, Ringrose may well have been upgraded to red for that high tackle on Ben Thomas and Wales would have the advantage.
As it was, there were 30 minutes left to play and Ireland were not only returning to 15 men, but catapulting Bundee Aki off the replacements bench.
Bundee Aki of Ireland pictured during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match againt Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. (Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile)
'Huge impact' by Bundee Aki
Bundee Aki was straight into the thick of it, bringing down some Welsh ball carriers and making a decent carry. He face was walloped, in the midst of that flurry, and his already crooked nose was given a bit more... character. On he played. There was a breakdown turnover won and another turnover that he played a part in, engulfing his man before Ireland could go for the poach.
"Bundee coming on made a huge impact," Simon Easterby reflected, post-match.Ireland's interim head coach.
"He was brilliant on both sides of the ball," Ireland's interim head coach added. "Great energy, good leadership and he won some crucial turnovers at times."
Aki will turn 35 just a month after this Six Nations championship. He is often linked with moves away from Connacht but has been settled out West, now, for more than a decade. As long as he is producing the goods, he deserves to be an Ireland starter. Looking towards the 2027 World Cup, though, it would be fascinating to see Ireland look at him as that impact sub option, like he was on Saturday. He could yet be a Levani Botia option for Ireland.
With Ringrose heading for a suspension, Easterby will, most likely, restore Bundee Aki to the 12 jersey and move Robbie Henshaw to 13 for the France game. Stuart McCloskey is fit again, so could come onto the bench.
Aki was not the only Ireland sub to make a hugely positive difference in that second half. James Ryan, Finlay Bealham, Gus McCarthy, Ryan Baird and Jack Boyle all contributed to Ireland climbing back from 18-10 behind to winning 28-17.
It makes the comments of two former Wales captains all the more remarkable.
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Former Wales captains on 'rattled' Ireland bench
Wales led 13-10 at half-time, in Cardiff, and former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones was down near the tunnel, on a watching beat for the BBC.
After Jac Morgan scored Wales' first try, after the first half clock went red, Jones looked at how the Ireland bench reacted. He told the BBC, at half-time, how the Irish replacements looked rattled.
Some of the younger replacements may have been spooked by the bouncing Welsh atmosphere, but not Bundee Aki. He was raring to go.
Interestingly, that was also what for Wales Women's captain Philippa Tuttiett reckoned, too. "Ireland looked flustered, at times," she said, "and that was because of what Wales did to them."
The Principality Stadium was rocking, all the way through that game. The roof was rattling when Morgan crashed over for his try and the stadium's in-house DJ (former Wales flanker Josh Navidi) was pumping out the celebratory music. Alun Wyn Jones may have been on to something when he looked an saw an uneasy Irish bench.
When it came time to put their chips in, though, the Ireland replacements, led by Aki, were superb. Baird and Ryan brought some much-needed physicality and go-forward ball. Bealham locked down his side of the scrum and Boyle won a scrum penalty with his first involvement. Gus McCarthy even teamed up with Josh van der Flier for a counter-ruck, just inside the Wales half, that saw Tadhg Beirne win a turnover penalty, and Sam Prendergast slot it over.
Rattled? Maybe for a moment, watching on. Once they got their chance to effect play, the subs stepped up.
Tuttiett also felt that 'it certainly looked like' Jamison Gibson-Park had knocked on before Jack Conan's opening try for Ireland. The Television Match Official stated, after replays, that the Ireland scrumhalf had juggled the ball 'laterally' before picking out a teammate in the build-up to Conan's try.
