IT’S fair to say that Scott Baldwin emptied his tank in Wales’ remarkable defensive stands approaching the hour of the win against Ireland.

The Ospreys hooker was in the thick of the action, showing remarkable energy and determination to help repel the Irish before being replaced by Richard Hibbard after the penalty that enabled them to clear their lines.

Baldwin ended with a tackle count of 20 in an afternoon that was exhausting for supporters watching, let alone players.

“I don’t think I’ve ever made that many tackles during a game in my life. I couldn’t stand at the end of that 32-phase defensive set,” said Baldwin.

“You just have to keep working for the man next to you. We said all week that if anyone’s on the floor then you have to get up and keep working.

“Those little moments, when you are fatigued and talking, are key points which we are building on and getting better at with every game.

“It’s exhausting, but you know the man next to you is just as tired, so you have to keep working for him and he is going to keep working for you.

“It’s just about working for a team-mate. You don’t want to give up.”

It’s two sterling displays on the spin for Baldwin and his exploits against the French and Irish should ensure he is the man vying for the start at the World Cup with Ken Owens and Hibbard.

And Scarlets loosehead Rob Evans also grasped his chance to impress after coming on to win his first cap when Gethin Jenkins was forced off at half-time.

The 22-year-old from Pembrokeshire, who is likely to start in Rome, has been on the fringes for some time behind Jenkins and Paul James and finally got the chance to experience Test rugby.

“It means everything to me,” he said. “In some ways I am glad it wasn’t handed on a plate to me, I have had to work for it. I just need to keep working hard now.

“It is obviously awesome to get one cap, but I just want to keep my head down and keep working hard and hopefully another opportunity will come.”

Jenkins’ injury will leave Wales needing to call up another loosehead with the Ospreys pair of Nicky Smith and Ryan Bevington likely to be in contention.