IF TWICKENHAM WAS a reminder of what this Ireland team can still produce, the next two fixtures need to provide the evidence that what we saw in London was not a once-off, but rather the turning of a corner.
Ireland crept out of the lows of Paris by scraping past Italy in round two, leaving that game knowing the odd bounce of a ball prevented further deep inquisition. Against England, all the pieces of the puzzle came back together in spectacular fashion.
It wasn’t the complete performance – it never is – but it was right up there with the best days under Andy Farrell. Ireland had a fallow week to let those good vibes sink in, but now there’s a job to be done and a Triple Crown to be won.
Tonight’s meeting with Wales [KO 8.10pm, RTÉ 2] presents a curious change in dynamic. Ireland were underdogs against England but are firm favourites to not just beat the Welsh, but beat them well. Instead of carrying the fight to the home team, Ireland are the ones expected to crush a visiting side out to cause an upset.
Ireland will look to start with intent and purpose and deny Steve Tandy’s men any invitation to make it a nevy night under the lights in Lansdowne Road. They’ll want to defend with the same fierce, yet controlled aggression which frustrated England’s early moments of promise in Twickenham, and be similarly accurate and ambitious with their attacking play.
“We know we’re nowhere near our potential as a team,” says Ireland captain Caelan Doris.
“We know there’s a lot of hard work to be put in. There’s a long journey for us to go on still.”
That journey includes addressing the few areas from Twickenham with which Ireland were not overly satisfied.
Advertisement
“We had 12 penalties, so discipline is one area. Scrum, obviously, a lot of those penalties came from the scrum. Our lineout maul, in particular, probably wasn’t as good as we would have liked it to be.
Ireland captain Caelan Doris. Andrew Conan / INPHO
Andrew Conan / INPHO / INPHO
“We absorbed quite a lot of pressure in the first 20 minutes which is a positive but we allowed them to play in our half, so a little bit of the kind of territorial battle. And then other than that, there is always as individuals, like some of my tackle stuff I want to improve, so as individuals there’s always bits that you can chase as well.
“So lots of areas that we can get after.”
Welsh rugby is in a bad place, an unfortunate reality for a nation that has offered the game so much, but the word of warning for Ireland is that like Farrell’s team, they too have looked in better health as this tournament has progressed. Wales’ fortunes have worsened even since last year, but Ireland will remember going to Cardiff and finding themselves right in a dogfight – trailing at half-time before Bundee Aki’s star turn off the bench helped shift the momentum.
“They’ve grown throughout the tournament,” says Doris.
“You can see the progression game on game. Obviously they put it up to Scotland in the most recent fixture. They started well, they’ve clearly invested a lot of time in their attack. It’s a good attack and it’s going to be a challenge for our defence. They’ve got different layers to it. They can play wide and deep, the forwards have great ability to play tips and passes at the line and they’re very unpredictable in terms of two-sided, lots of quick taps, playing out. We saw (Louis) Rees-Zammit run the ball from deep. Tomos Williams wants to keep a high tempo, snipe, quick throw-ins, quick tap, so it’s going to be important for us to be always on and be ready for those.”
Ireland’s team has a refreshed look to it, with the presence of seven Ulster players getting plenty of attention this week. As recently as November, Farrell was selecting Ireland 23s with no Ulster representation.
Stuart McCloskey has been Ireland’s man of the tournament so far, and tonight, his Ulster teammate Nick Timoney is rewarded for a sustained run of strong form with his first Six Nations start.
Doris and Timoney first played together at schools level in Blackrock.
“I was in fourth year, he was in sixth year in school, we won a Schools Cup together,” Doris recalls.
“His evolution has been unbelievable. Obviously he’s been in Ulster for 10 years now and playing some very good stuff up there, but I think he’s taken it to another level over the last season or so. He’s always been rugby obsessed and puts a tonne of hard work in, and it’s class to see it come to fruition with some of the performances he’s put in.”
Timoney’s opportunity is a welcome development, as is a long-awaited debut for Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak, who starts on the bench.
Ireland’s starting nine, Jamison Gibson-Park, is at the other end of the scale. The Leinster player delivered one of his best performance in green in London and tonight he’ll lead the team out as he wins his 50th Test cap.
Jamison Gibson Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
So often the spark in Ireland’s attacking play, Gibson-Park has plenty of livewires around him. McCloskey was sensational in London and Robert Baloucoune’s pace is a transformative weapon in a team which has often laced lethal, top-end speed. Jamie Osborne continues to prove himself a fine option at fullback, Garry Ringrose has stepped up since the Stade de France and Jack Crowley slipped into the starting side seamlessly after his strong showings off the bench in rounds one and two.
Jacob Stockdale is a welcome selection, even if Tommy O’Brien hardly put a foot wrong in Twickenham, as the Ulster man has been playing well consistently for Ulster. He was quiet in Paris (as were most of his teammates), and it would have been a shame if that proved his only opportunity in this window. That said, he’ll know a big performance is needed to keep him in the mix going forward.
In the pack, Rónan Kelleher deserves his start at hooker, with Tadhg Furlong again locked in at tighthead and Tom O’Toole shifting across to start at loosehead. It’s a big ask for the Ulster prop, a tighthead by trade, but he’s done a fine job covering the position off the bench.
The lock pairing of James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne are experienced and tireless, while Jack Conan and Doris bring their vast Test experience alongside the relentless, physical Timoney in the back row.
Players like Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier give the bench a strong look, but the inclusions of Tom Farrell and Ciarán Frawley – another who did well off the bench last time out – keep a fresh feel to things.
Related Reads
Wales captain embracing underdog tag ahead of Ireland clash
From Paris pain to Twickenham triumph: how Ireland turned their Six Nations around
The kick chase in Twickenham that summed Nick Timoney up
It would be unrealistic to expect Ireland to be as impressive as they were in Twickenham, but if they can build on that win with another polished showing here, while collecting a bonus point, it will ensure the feel-good vibes roll into the closing weekend.
IRELAND: Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O’Toole, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier, Nathan Doak, Tom Farrell, Ciarán Frawley.
WALES: Louis Rees-Zammit; Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Aaron Wainwright, James Botham, Alex Mann; Ben Carter, Dafydd Jenkins; Tomas Francis, Dewi Lake (capt), Rhys Carre.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Adam Beard, Olly Cracknell, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans, Louie Hennessey.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
3 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Welsh test is Ireland's first step to proving Twickenham was no once-off
IF TWICKENHAM WAS a reminder of what this Ireland team can still produce, the next two fixtures need to provide the evidence that what we saw in London was not a once-off, but rather the turning of a corner.
Ireland crept out of the lows of Paris by scraping past Italy in round two, leaving that game knowing the odd bounce of a ball prevented further deep inquisition. Against England, all the pieces of the puzzle came back together in spectacular fashion.
It wasn’t the complete performance – it never is – but it was right up there with the best days under Andy Farrell. Ireland had a fallow week to let those good vibes sink in, but now there’s a job to be done and a Triple Crown to be won.
Tonight’s meeting with Wales [KO 8.10pm, RTÉ 2] presents a curious change in dynamic. Ireland were underdogs against England but are firm favourites to not just beat the Welsh, but beat them well. Instead of carrying the fight to the home team, Ireland are the ones expected to crush a visiting side out to cause an upset.
Ireland will look to start with intent and purpose and deny Steve Tandy’s men any invitation to make it a nevy night under the lights in Lansdowne Road. They’ll want to defend with the same fierce, yet controlled aggression which frustrated England’s early moments of promise in Twickenham, and be similarly accurate and ambitious with their attacking play.
“We know we’re nowhere near our potential as a team,” says Ireland captain Caelan Doris.
“We know there’s a lot of hard work to be put in. There’s a long journey for us to go on still.”
That journey includes addressing the few areas from Twickenham with which Ireland were not overly satisfied.
“We had 12 penalties, so discipline is one area. Scrum, obviously, a lot of those penalties came from the scrum. Our lineout maul, in particular, probably wasn’t as good as we would have liked it to be.
“We absorbed quite a lot of pressure in the first 20 minutes which is a positive but we allowed them to play in our half, so a little bit of the kind of territorial battle. And then other than that, there is always as individuals, like some of my tackle stuff I want to improve, so as individuals there’s always bits that you can chase as well.
“So lots of areas that we can get after.”
Welsh rugby is in a bad place, an unfortunate reality for a nation that has offered the game so much, but the word of warning for Ireland is that like Farrell’s team, they too have looked in better health as this tournament has progressed. Wales’ fortunes have worsened even since last year, but Ireland will remember going to Cardiff and finding themselves right in a dogfight – trailing at half-time before Bundee Aki’s star turn off the bench helped shift the momentum.
“They’ve grown throughout the tournament,” says Doris.
“You can see the progression game on game. Obviously they put it up to Scotland in the most recent fixture. They started well, they’ve clearly invested a lot of time in their attack. It’s a good attack and it’s going to be a challenge for our defence. They’ve got different layers to it. They can play wide and deep, the forwards have great ability to play tips and passes at the line and they’re very unpredictable in terms of two-sided, lots of quick taps, playing out. We saw (Louis) Rees-Zammit run the ball from deep. Tomos Williams wants to keep a high tempo, snipe, quick throw-ins, quick tap, so it’s going to be important for us to be always on and be ready for those.”
Ireland’s team has a refreshed look to it, with the presence of seven Ulster players getting plenty of attention this week. As recently as November, Farrell was selecting Ireland 23s with no Ulster representation.
Stuart McCloskey has been Ireland’s man of the tournament so far, and tonight, his Ulster teammate Nick Timoney is rewarded for a sustained run of strong form with his first Six Nations start.
Doris and Timoney first played together at schools level in Blackrock.
“I was in fourth year, he was in sixth year in school, we won a Schools Cup together,” Doris recalls.
“His evolution has been unbelievable. Obviously he’s been in Ulster for 10 years now and playing some very good stuff up there, but I think he’s taken it to another level over the last season or so. He’s always been rugby obsessed and puts a tonne of hard work in, and it’s class to see it come to fruition with some of the performances he’s put in.”
Timoney’s opportunity is a welcome development, as is a long-awaited debut for Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak, who starts on the bench.
Ireland’s starting nine, Jamison Gibson-Park, is at the other end of the scale. The Leinster player delivered one of his best performance in green in London and tonight he’ll lead the team out as he wins his 50th Test cap.
So often the spark in Ireland’s attacking play, Gibson-Park has plenty of livewires around him. McCloskey was sensational in London and Robert Baloucoune’s pace is a transformative weapon in a team which has often laced lethal, top-end speed. Jamie Osborne continues to prove himself a fine option at fullback, Garry Ringrose has stepped up since the Stade de France and Jack Crowley slipped into the starting side seamlessly after his strong showings off the bench in rounds one and two.
Jacob Stockdale is a welcome selection, even if Tommy O’Brien hardly put a foot wrong in Twickenham, as the Ulster man has been playing well consistently for Ulster. He was quiet in Paris (as were most of his teammates), and it would have been a shame if that proved his only opportunity in this window. That said, he’ll know a big performance is needed to keep him in the mix going forward.
In the pack, Rónan Kelleher deserves his start at hooker, with Tadhg Furlong again locked in at tighthead and Tom O’Toole shifting across to start at loosehead. It’s a big ask for the Ulster prop, a tighthead by trade, but he’s done a fine job covering the position off the bench.
The lock pairing of James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne are experienced and tireless, while Jack Conan and Doris bring their vast Test experience alongside the relentless, physical Timoney in the back row.
Players like Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier give the bench a strong look, but the inclusions of Tom Farrell and Ciarán Frawley – another who did well off the bench last time out – keep a fresh feel to things.
It would be unrealistic to expect Ireland to be as impressive as they were in Twickenham, but if they can build on that win with another polished showing here, while collecting a bonus point, it will ensure the feel-good vibes roll into the closing weekend.
IRELAND: Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O’Toole, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne; Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier, Nathan Doak, Tom Farrell, Ciarán Frawley.
WALES: Louis Rees-Zammit; Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Tomos Williams; Aaron Wainwright, James Botham, Alex Mann; Ben Carter, Dafydd Jenkins; Tomas Francis, Dewi Lake (capt), Rhys Carre.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Adam Beard, Olly Cracknell, Kieran Hardy, Jarrod Evans, Louie Hennessey.
Referee: Karl Dickson [RFU].
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Ireland Preview Six Nations 2026 Wales