TEPID Wales fluffed their lines on their World Cup audition after being put to the sword by Ireland at the Millennium Stadium.

Opportunity knocked for a number of fringe and inexperienced players but few grasped their chance to impress boss Warren Gatland on a chastening summer afternoon against the Six Nations champions.

The Irish ran in five scores in a dominant display before some late consolations ensured a flattering scoreline for the hosts, who will have been hugely disappointed with their performance up front and in defence.

A grim first-half display combined with Australia’s super win against the All Blacks led to a feeling of gloom among many Welsh supporters but take events with a pinch of salt.

Gatland already knows his first XV and there are only a handful of places up for grabs in his final 31 for England 2015.

It will be a shock if more than three players that finished the game – Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric and possibly Alex Cuthbert if Liam Williams isn’t fit – are in the matchday squad when Wales take on England in their second game of the World Cup on September 26.

Wales looked like a disjointed team but such is the nature of the beast in such warm-ups.

Openside Justin Tipuric was good and promise was shown by the Newport Gwent Dragons pair of Tyler Morgan and Hallam Amos along with Ospreys speedster Eli Walker.

Centre Morgan, 19, grew into the game while Amos showed some classy touches and looked solid enough despite playing full-back rather than wing for the first time in almost a year.

But nobody really presented the management team with a splitting World Cup selection headache and a number of individuals will now be expecting the dreaded KO after next week’s Colwyn Bay training camp.

While Gatland’s team looked like it was their first pre-season encounter, Ireland looked slick in the opening exchanges to build up a winning lead.

They were far sharper and while their fringe players – the likes of Ulstermen Darren Cave, Iain Henderson and Andrew Trimble – boast a wealth of experience.

The impressive Irish ensured it was another encounter to add to Wales’ warm-up horror shows against the English in 2003 and 2007.

Players were keen to impress and Dragons youngster Hallam Amos got the perfect settler after 22 seconds, the 20-year-old full-back majestically claiming an up and under on his second cap.

All four debutants – lock Dom Day, back row Ross Moriarty, centre Tyler Morgan and wing Eli Walker – got their hands on the ball early yet it was a seasoned campaigner that struck first for the visitors.

Wales made a mess of their exit from a scrum close to their line when captain Scott Williams coughed the ball up and he was made to pay when Lions number eight Jamie Heaslip strolled over after 10 minutes.

The Irish captain was prominent in an impressive opening by the Six Nations champions and their lead was stretched to 8-0 by Jackson just before the quarter.

And more shocking defence saw them stretch 15 points clear when Ulster centre Darren Cave wrong-footed scrum-half Mike Phillips to cruise over, Jackson adding the extras.

Things got even worse when a shocking hospital pass by fly-half James Hook saw Walker crunched by Trimble with the ball popping up nicely for centre Keith Earls to race over from halfway.

It took try-saving tackles by Scott Williams and Walker to prevent a ‘bonus point’ score and Ireland settled for stretching their lead to 25-0 through Jackson’s right peg but the hosts got on the board just before half-time with a slick lineout move.

A penalty was kicked to the corner and Hibbard hit number eight Dan Baker at the front, flanker Justin Tipuric peeled around and put over his hooker.

Hook converted and Wales were agonisingly close to cutting the gap further with the last play of the half only for Walker, who showed promise, to just fail to ground the ball from Amos’ clever grubber kick.

Hopes of Wales carrying that momentum into the second half were ended when Moriarty was yellow-carded for catching Simon Zebo with a swinging arm and the Ireland winger made him pay.

Ireland rumbled close with a driving lineout then, playing with penalty advantage for offside, whipped the ball left for the speedster to flop over untouched.

And it got worse in the 54th minute when visiting full-back Felix Jones trotted over from Zebo’s pass – 35-7.

The game became scrappy as the benches were emptied and but just as the dreaded Mexican wave was looming Wales struck with the try of the game with eight minutes left.

Tipuric was the fore when starting and finishing a lovely move involving the Dragons pair of Morgan and Amos, who both provided lovely offloads for the Ospreys openside to score a cracker that Gareth Anscombe converted.

And Wales had the final say when wing Alex Cuthbert was presented with a simple finish from a glorious pass by impressive sub Anscombe, who then converted.

Gatland will bring back his big guns when the sides meet again in Dublin at the end of the month. If it’s the same outcome then it’s fine to have a bit of a panic but not yet.

Wales: H Amos, A Cuthbert, T Morgan, S Williams (captain, M Morgan 56), E Walker, J Hook (G Anscombe 50), M Phillips (L Williams 50), N Smith (R Evans 51), R Hibbard (K Dacey 51), A Jarvis (S Andrews 58), J Ball (J King 58), D Day, R Moriarty, J Tipuric, D Baker.

Scorers: tries – R Hibbard, J Tipuric; conversions – J Hook, G Anscombe.

Yellow card: R Moriarty

Ireland: F Jones, A Trimble (S Zebo 34), K Earls (I Madigan ), D Cave, F McFadden, P Jackson, E Reddan (K Marmion ), J McGrath (D Kilcoyne 53), R Strauss (R Best 20-26, 61), M Ross, I Henderson, D Ryan (D Tuohy 50), J Murphy, T O'Donnell, J Heaslip (captain, C Henry 55).

Scorers: tries – J Heaslip, D Cave, K Earls, S Zebo, F Jones; conversions – P Jackson (2); penalties – P Jackson (2)

Yellow card: C Henry

Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)