There were very few positives in the Welsh performance yesterday. Perhaps there was hope in Stephen Jones' solo scoring effort, but the likes of rugby league convert Iestyn Harris were anonymous.
Ireland were the opposite. They fizzed from front row to full back.
Props Peter Clohessy - winning his 50th cap - and John Hayes played like back row men: mobile, heavyweights hammering through the chaotic clutter of what passed as a Wales defence.
But Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan sounded a note of caution. He said: 'We're going to Twickenham to play England. If that doesn't sober the mind, nothing else will.
'We made a very good start, we had the wind at our backs and a few early scores on the board settled us down.'
Hooker Frankie Sheahan, in for injured skipper Keith Wood, turned in a near perfect performance. If Wood, as he hinted last night, is not back in time for the England match, there will be no worries over Sheahan's inclusion.
Second row newcomer Paul O'Connell had his international debut cut short through injury, but not before making his mark with Ireland's second try, when he was driven over at a line-out.
By then Murphy had already sliced through for the opener after great work from Humphreys and flanker David Wallace.
Just after half-time the Leicester man did it again. A brilliant surging run upfield by Hayes, who had been released by Clohessy, left Welshmen scattered over the battlefield and paved the way for a move that involved a further three pairs of hands before it arrived in the safe clasp of Murphy.
With Humphreys steadily knocking over penalty after penalty, Wales were left scavenging for scraps. Although fly half Stephen Jones scored a try and converted it to add to his first-half penalty, there was nothing else on offer.
Wales were like a car that has rolled off a production line late on a Friday afternoon - they look fine in the showroom, but is an endless stream of problems on the road.
Tries from Denis Hickie, Gleeson and Ronan O'Gara completed a sound thrashing that Wales will do well to bounce back from.
