IRELAND V WALES / SIX NATIONS 2014

Tuesday, the day that the Welsh team to face Ireland was announced was a day that I looked at the Welsh team sheet and really went "wow". I know that Adam Jones has been struggling a bit with the new scrum laws and in last week's game against Italy the Welsh scrums were not the best but nobody can take away from the fact that the Welsh front row is enough to scare even the toughest Southern hemisphere team with Jenkins, Hibbard and Jones coming together to create one of the sturdiest platforms a Welsh team has ever seen. But of course, staring in to their eyes as they crouch ready for the first scrum engage will be Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross who are far from the softest men in Ireland. However, with Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton (c), Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau supporting the three muscle men in the front it is definitely going to be far from a smooth ride for the Irish pack and one can predict that the break down will be one of the most fascinating areas of the game to watch come kick off Saturday afternoon with Lions Jamie Heaslip and the Master Paul O'Connell(c) ploughing through red shirts for the ball in front of a home Aviva Stadium crowd. Spine tingling stuff is it not!

Let us not forget the centres, as if we could ever forget the centres! Gordon D'Arcy lines up next to international rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll to face Warren Gatland's first 15. As predicted the media have gone crazy with excitement over the last week, advertising this game as O'Driscoll Vs Gatland and if I am honest with you I think it is all very boring. Yes Gatland caused an uproar across both Ireland and Britain as he left out one of the most experienced players of all time but did it pay off - yes and I am sure that given the choice of being out of the team and winning the series or being in it and losing I think O'Driscoll would have chosen the former. So, let us all stop billing the game as an individual V an individual and see it as Ireland V Wales. Looking at Wales' centre partnership of Roberts and Williams it just brings a smile to your face doesn't it. Granted that the partnership could be arguably stronger if Jonathan Davies was fit but Scott Williams has shown over the last season playing for the Scarlets that he is quickly becoming one of the strongest and most powerful number 13s in Wales and the try that was curated from a slick centre one-two against Ireland last week showed that Roberts and Williams are looking perfectly comfortable in the middle of an increasingly experienced team. 

Halfpenny at full-back and North and Cuthbert on the wings makes for sweet reading but the Irish will also be looking at their back line with a wide grin as Rob Kearney wears the 15 shirt with Trimble and brother Dave Kearney ready to attack the welsh defence on the wing. Both Trimble and D. Kearney put in some great runs against Scotland last Sunday and they continued to look dangerous until the final whistle. North and Cuthbert did not have such an exciting game but supporters can be assured that Wales' less than desirable performance against Italy would have given them the kick that they needed to come out all guns blazing on Saturday afternoon in the Irish capital. 

If Wales had been playing any other team other than Italy last Saturday they would have most probably lost thus they know that there is no more room for mistakes and as many rugby punters have said over the last few weeks, Wales are a good side, they have to be in order to achieve the success that they have managed over the last few seasons and they can not turn in to a bad team overnight so be prepared for a step up in the Welsh game this weekend. Ireland have had a few turbulent Six Nations championships since they won the competition back in 2009 but under the guidance of Joe Schmitd they have slowly been bettering their game which will (hopefully) culminate in a relentless battle of strength, skill and speed come kick off this Saturday. 

Gatland will undoubtably encounter some boos when his face is projected on to the screens in the Aviva Stadium but that will be water off a ducks back for one of the most successful coaches in Welsh and British history. Ireland V Wales is the game of the weekend and on paper it looks to be a cracker. Get the cawl and soda bread ready - the Six Nations is heating up! Who will take the win? Well, You Can Never Tell.