SIX NATIONS: The Irish Timeshas teamed up with Media Wales ( www.walesonline.co.uk ) to provide the inside track from the Wales camp in the build-up to this Saturday's crucial Six Nations encounter at the Millennium Stadium, where the defending champions will attempt to stop Ireland winning their first Grand Slam in over 60 years.
It’s Wales for the Triple Crown for me
GWYN JONES
SO it comes down to this. Eighty minutes of rugby to determine whether the 2009 Six Nations will be remembered as a success or a failure for Wales.
Triple Crown, champions or nothing ... that is the stark reality that will be decided when the final whistle blows on Saturday evening.
Despite the fact Wales are so close to taking another championship, Warren Gatland no more holds the untouchable status within the Welsh rugby community.
His methods are being questioned, his game-plan is being doubted and his inflexibility has caused concern.
Goodness me, we truly are a fickle bunch. Let’s just take a step back and remember where we came from.
Just recall pre-Gatland and how Wales crashed out of the 2007 World Cup.
The only thing we wanted was to be respectable and we couldn’t even manage that. Sometimes I think we’ve forgotten how bad that was.
Gatland (inset) has delivered so much more than that. Pride has been restored to the shirt and others have admired and emulated Wales’ style.
How can we bemoan the position we are in? Well, that’s Welsh rugby for you.
The success has come thanks to a fairly structured pattern of play which has served the team well. It has also come from huge amounts of hard work and the development of a no-nonsense culture in the squad.
Suddenly, after two less-than-convincing performances, but only one loss, people are beginning to turn on Gatland, his tactics and ask if there’s a next phase for the team, or is that it?
So, has Gatland’s pattern been unpicked?
I think it is impossible to answer that question on the evidence of the last two games because Wales did not execute that pattern properly against France and Italy
Quite frankly, it would not have mattered what style Wales were trying to play because we made so many mistakes it was irrelevant what the plan was supposed to be.
Styles of play are only good if they are executed with accuracy. It has been the standard of play, rather than anything else, that has let Wales down.
The selection of Andy Powell at No 8 indicates to me that Gatland is sticking pretty much to his guns.
Powell is a ball-carrier and has become a central figure in the Wales team.
His role of smashing into the defence will not change and Tom Shanklin will have similar duties in midfield.
Ireland know Gatland, they certainly know Shanklin and will know about Powell by kick-off in two days’ time.
The game becomes a battle of wills and Wales will try to impose their style on the Irish, who will likewise be trying to do that in return.
Personally, I don’t think there is much wrong with the way Wales are attempting to play the game. But it does require some minor adjustments.
For instance, Wales have been reluctant to use backs to recycle the ball in midfield.
As a consequence, teams have committed men to those rucks and slowed the ball down.
Wales will have to get that ball back quicker.
I wouldn’t use Powell so much as a kick catcher.
I would have the backs fielding the kicks and let them use Powell if they decide to run the ball.
When Powell catches a deep kick, the opposition can be fairly certain he’ll run it back and they are well prepared for him.
As for the kicking game, I would ban chips and short kicks. If Wales are kicking deep, then it’s got to be as deep as possible and, if we’re kicking high, then we must be able to regain the ball.
This Six Nations has seen virtually no lineout steals, so kicking for touch is not a productive use of possession.
If you think we’re going to pinch Irish throws aimed at Paul O’Connell, then think again.
Specifically, the Irish will be looking to do what France did to us around the fringes with their effective but mind-numbing pick-and-go rugby.
Wales must nullify that aspect and do so without conceding penalties.
This is the crux of the game to me. So many other areas are equal, but, if Ireland are able to exert pressure here, Wales will be on the losing side.
Wales and Ireland are two evenly-matched sides. I would expect that this would be decided by a small margin.
I expect a tense encounter that will see the level of intensity higher than in any previous match in this year’s championship.
The action will be fast and furious with a bit of kicking thrown in. Would we deny our Celtic friends from across the water a first Grand Slam in more than three score years? Too right we will, we want the Triple Crown and by close of business on Saturday night that trophy will be ours again.
Ireland will have to make do with the championship... that’s the least we can give them!
Gwyn Jones is part of S4C’s Six Nations rugby presentation team. Y Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol’s comprehensive coverage of Wales v Ireland starts at 5pm on Saturday, kick-off 5.30pm
March 18th
Wales players dislike the Irish most, says Warren Gatland
by Andy Howell, Western Mail
WARREN GATLAND turned up the temperature ahead of the Six Nations decider with Ireland by talking of his players’ “dislike” of the opposition.
It is common knowledge that Munster, who provide more than half the Grand Slam-chasing Irish side, aren’t fond of big-spending Welsh region the Ospreys.
But, in a new twist, the Wales coach revealed: “We have spoken about all the teams in the Six Nations and it’s Ireland who the Welsh players probably dislike the most.
“Players’ experiences against Ireland haven’t always been the greatest, so they are very motivated to play against them.”
Gatland’s surprising claim is sure to increase the tension and stoke up hostilities further ahead of Saturday’s massive, sell-out Millennium Stadium showdown.
Championship leaders Ireland are coming to Cardiff in search of a first Grand Slam since 1948, while Wales want the Triple Crown and would lift the title for the second year in a row if they win by 13 or more points.
“At international level, when there has been that expectation either to perform in the Six Nations or World Cups, Ireland have sometimes faltered a little bit,” argued Gatland.
“It will be interesting to see how their coach handles that, and how the players handle that this week. They’ve performed well this Six Nations, but we’re at home with a massive crowd behind us.
“If you go back to the autumn, Ireland talked themselves up a lot before the New Zealand game – and performed poorly in that one.
“We’ve got to really concentrate on ourselves and put them under as much pressure as we can.”
The Wales coach, who will have thought carefully about his choice of words, continued: “Somebody told me, after the Scotland game, the Irish players were one-and-a-half hours in the changing room, singing and celebrating, so they are fairly happy with where they are.
“They are probably pleased with winning four out of four and playing for the Triple Crown and Grand Slam.
“We were completely the other way. The players went back to the hotel, did not drink and were thinking about this week.”
Gatland insisted he didn’t bear any grudges towards Ireland despite having been the victim of a coup in 2001 when he was controversially removed as their boss. He said he had buried the hatchet with the Irish a year ago when Wales triumphed 16-12 in Dublin to secure the Triple Crown.
“I had a couple of good experiences at Wasps going back to Ireland and last year at Croke Park with Wales. That, for me, was closing the book on Ireland,” he said.
“There’s nothing personal on my part. It’s gone, the door is closed. I had some great times, memories coaching Ireland but it’s gone.
“Saturday is about the two teams really. Firstly we will get a little bit of satisfaction by denying Ireland the Grand Slam and by us winning the Triple Crown.
“We do believe, if we play to our potential, and we have shown glimpses, we have a chance of overturning the points difference.”
The two countries named their teams yesterday with Gatland bringing back his stars, making eight changes from the side which struggled to win 20-15 in Italy, and Ireland three from the XV which disposed of Scotland at Murrayfield.
Gatland summoned tried and tested warriors – props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones, hooker Matthew Rees, lock Ian Gough, flanker Martyn Williams, and outside-half Stephen Jones – while Gavin Henson and Stadio Flaminio super-sub match-winner Tom Shanklin got the nod in the centre ahead of Jamie Roberts.
Mark Jones kept out youngster Leigh Halfpenny on the right wing while the under-fire Andy Powell was retained in the back row.
Blindside flanker Ryan Jones, who was a replacement in Rome, regains the captaincy from Alun Wyn Jones, Gatland maintaining that was going to occur irrespective of what had happened during Wales’ fumbling Italian job.
Shanklin is reunited with his 2005 and 2008 Grand Slam midfield colleague Henson, Gatland beaming: “It was a very strong partnership last year and did very well.
“Tom is our form centre this year in offence and defence. With the Irish midfield strength, we need a really strong combination defensively in midfield.”
Gatland was adamant the injury-plagued Henson’s lack of game-time for the Ospreys or Wales this season wasn’t an issue.
“He will get sharper. The pleasing thing about him is at the end of last week he was communicating a lot more,” said Gatland.
“The great thing about after the Italy game was the players decided to go back to the hotel and not have a drink. Gavin was straight down to the team room, having a look at the game.
“It was just a subtle sign a player’s mind is right and it was pleasing to see him go 80 minutes last weekend. Again, one of his strengths is defence. He is big and physical. The combination of him and Tom have played well together, they have done well for us in the past.”
London Irish rookie scrum-half Warren Fury will once again provide cover for Mike Phillips, with Gareth Cooper, Dwayne Peel and Martin Roberts injured.
Gatland admitted: “We have been very, very patchy with how we have played this season, but, if we had been having this campaign a year ago, people would have been delirious we have won three out of four games and beaten England.
“The players are going through a unique experience. First of all, we were favourites and every team is bringing their A game against us because they see Wales as a big scalp.
“They are playing at a 10 or 20 per cent higher level against us than in other matches. We are learning to cope with that and I think it’s a good experience.”
On the prospect of Wales winning outright back-to-back titles for only the fifth time in history, he said: “It’s always in the back of your thoughts. History is there for us.
“To win the title again would be a massive achievement.”
Ryan Jones: Showdown 'like being on death row'
by Gareth Griffiths, South Wales Echo
IF anyone wants to know what a Six Nations showdown means just spend a few minutes in the company of captain Ryan Jones.
This is the third year in the last five Six Nations series where Wales have come into the final set of matches still in contention for tournament glory.
And following the Grand Slam triumphs of 2005 and 2008, you might think the Welsh players will be totally relaxed going into Saturday’s epic encounter against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium.
But Jones has issued a candid admission into exactly what his players will go through in the next three days.
“The pressure is immense,” said Jones, talking from Wales’ Vale of Glamorgan base.
“It’s still midweek but we are already focusing on the game.
“It’s early yet and I’m a pretty relaxed character until Thursday or Friday – then it becomes tough.
“That’s when you go and see the doc and get your sleeping tablets out and try to get six hours’ kip at least. It’s like being on death row – waiting. It can’t come quick enough but as the week goes on, the slower time seems to pass.
“But it’s one of those things that when it comes around it flies by.
“That 80 minutes is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the work that’s put in before and after the game.
“So we just have to look forward to it and not wish it away at times.
“You have to enjoy the experience, too. If you don’t enjoy it there’s no point doing it and you might as well go and do something else.
“But playing in front of 75,000 people, with three million people at home all critiquing you is a very vulnerable place to be.
“You only ever find out how good you are when you play in the big games – it is the pinnacle of a sportsman’s career.
“This makes lacing up your boots on a crappy, wet, rainy Monday morning, when you’re carrying a few bumps, all the worthwhile.”
And Jones is reassured a lot of his squad have been in this situation before following the final weekend victories over Ireland in 2005 and France last year.
“Those are the sorts of experiences you draw on for an occasion like this,” added Jones.
“On Saturday afternoon we are fortunate that we’ll have a fair few boys who will have played in games like this in 2005 and 2008.
“Those are the sort of experiences and memories you draw upon in what is a very stressful week and they help you through.”
Compare this to Ireland. They have no championship winning experiences to dwell on having not won a Grand Slam for 61 years.
This has led people, most notably Wales coach Warren Gatland, to suggest all the pressure is on the men from the Emerald Isle.
“That is right because they are going into the game as favourites,” concurred Jones.
“But that is rightly so because they have played superbly well over the duration of this competition.”
The pressure Jones will refuse to buckle under is the weight of history. Throughout his career the Ospreys skipper has had little time for what has happened in the past.
The latest statistic that was thrown at Jones was that Wales have not beaten Ireland by more than 13 points since 1983, the target Wales will have to achieve if they want to defend their title.
But Jones said: “We hadn’t beaten England for 20 years at Twickenham before we went there and won last season.
“First and foremost we are going into this game to get a win.
“If we get to 65 to 70 minutes and we’re in contention that’s when things will come into focus.
“Then, you are looking for key decisions, the bounce of a ball, a refereeing decision, a moment of brilliance from someone to allow us to close that gap.
“That’s when you decide whether to kick for goals or not.”
March 17th
Howley: Henson was right to rant
By Andy Howell
GAVIN HENSON has received high-profile support from inside the Wales camp after he questioned his team’s tactics during their fumbling RBS 6 Nations victory over Italy.
Wales attack coach Rob Howley claims Henson was “spot-on” in his assessment of events at Stadio Flaminio.
Ospreys centre Henson was enraged when Wales chose to take a long-range kick at goal deep into injury time of their 20-15 victory in Rome.
He could be seen voicing his displeasure to team-mate Ryan Jones as substitute Stephen Jones lined up the penalty.
Henson wanted the ball booted out as a prelude to referee Alan Lewis blowing the final whistle, therefore denying Italy any chance of launching a last-ditch attack.
He also claimed he was “frustrated” and “annoyed” with the way Wales played, and needed five minutes’ cooling down time in the changing room while his colleagues went back out to applaud thousands of travelling Welsh supporters.
Henson said: “I probably touched the ball three times, I think Jamie (Roberts) touched it once. God knows how many times the wings touched it.
“Maybe our tactics were wrong. In saying that, we did make a lot of mistakes. If we hadn’t made so many mistakes, maybe the tactics might have been right. It was just frustrating being out there.
“This team is all about honesty and voicing your opinion, so there were a couple of discussions that went on.
“I felt we should have attacked them more. Maybe it might have been a bit of an easier game for us if we had kept the ball a bit more, but that didn’t happen.”
Former Wales captain Howley admitted Henson had a point as the reigning Six Nations champions began preparations for Saturday’s title decider against Grand Slam-chasing Ireland in Cardiff.
“I think he was spot-on, in fairness to him,” said Howley.
“He is an intelligent footballer who understands the game. It is fair criticism in the fact we did kick too often.
“We were disappointed as coaches, not so much about our kicking strategy but the decision-making, accuracy and length.
“In fairness to Italy, we didn’t expect them to out-kick us. Rugby is not black and white. It is about decision-making, looking up and recognising that space.
“Coaches don’t know everything and in fairness to Gavin he was spot-on. We didn’t kick long enough and hopefully we will be rectifying that against Ireland next weekend.
“We’ve looked at the France game when we didn’t kick enough, and we’ve gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. That’s an area we will be working on this week.
“You want players to make decisions – coaches aren’t on the field.
“Decision-making is a huge part of the game, and our decision-making with our lack of kicking accuracy sometimes let us down.”
Ryan Jones, meanwhile, laughed off his verbal exchange with Henson.
The Wales skipper said: “Gav had an opinion, I had an opinion, I’m bigger than Gav so my opinion counts more than his!
“Look, we both expressed an opinion, that was it. It has been blown out of all proportion, really.
“There has been no fall-out over it, just two boys expressing different opinions. You speak your mind and you move on. There are no big dramas.
“It is not going to have any bearing on this week.”
The challenge for Wales is how they stop an Irish side chasing its first Grand Slam since 1948.
A win would secure the Triple Crown, but Wales need a minimum 13-point victory - something they have not achieved against Ireland since 1983 – to retain their Six Nations crown.
“It’s a huge game,” added Howley.
“There is a lot of pressure. They (Ireland) haven’t won the Grand Slam for so many years. We had that experience last year and we coped with that pressure.
“Can Ireland cope with the pressure of playing against the Grand Slam champions of last season and, secondly, the Millennium (Stadium) factor?
“We’ve got everything to play for – the Triple Crown – and I am sure the 13 points (margin) will be mentioned this week many times.
“We will go out to win the game and then we will see what happens.”
Howley also reported no injury concerns in the aftermath of Rome, with Jones and full-back Lee Byrne both fine following knocks sustained against Italy.
Irish must shoulder favourites tag - Ryan
By Simon Roberts
RYAN JONES has labelled Grand Slam-chasing Ireland as favourites for their Six Nations title clash with Wales and warned the battle to be crowned ‘Kings of Europe’ won’t be pretty.
The Wales skipper, who came on as a replacement towards the end of his side’s scrappy 20-15 victory over Italy in Rome, is expected to be back in the starting line-up for Saturday’s clash at the Millennium Stadium.
Wales need to win by 13 points to win the but a victory would see Ireland seal a first Grand Slam for 61 years.
But the 30-times capped Jones (right), in his second season as captain of his country, believes the weight or expectation will be on Irish shoulders.
“They are coming here with the favourites tag,” said Jones, who could well reclaim his favoured No 8 position following a string of disappointing displays from Andy Powell.
“There is a pressure and a burden to bear but they have experience at club and international level, players who have been around a long, long time.
“I don’t think it will be an issue for them. The Munster boys are used to playing Heineken Cup rugby and they will approach this game in the same way they have approached the last four.
“It’s just something they have to overcome, we both want to win and who gets it right on the day is the real challenge.”
Both Wales and Ireland are the only sides in with a shout of silverware on the final weekend.
Ireland are chasing the Grand Slam, Triple Crown and the Six Nations title.
Wales can not win a second successive Grand Slam but still can lift a Triple Crown and the title.
But both sides haven’t really played to their full potential and have shown the ability to grind out wins while they aren’t playing well.
And Jones warned: “It won’t be pretty. There is too much at stake, it’s going to be extremely physical and the kicking game is going to be massive.
“Ronan O’Gara does it week-in, week-out for Munster. The way defences are it’s very rare that teams are scoring 50 or 60-metre tries.
“You have to play rugby in the right areas and win the territorial battle. That’s what it will come down this weekend.”
Jones dismissed any notion that the 13-point deficit Wales have to beat Ireland by to win the title will be in the minds of his players.
“You have to get on top and if you are winning the game then we will address the points situation,” he said. “The points difference will take care of itself.
“You don’t know how the game is going to go, but we have to make sure we are in a position to potentially win the game. Hopefully somebody will pull something special out of the bag.”
“We will worry about the points at 60 and 70 minutes into the game.”
Byrne puts the boot into Welsh critics
By Jon Doel
LEE BYRNE has hit out at critics of Wales’ kicking game and insisted their tactic of putting boot to ball helped win the Grand Slam last year.
The star full-back was bristling after a series of pundits and fans questioned the uninspiring tactics of Warren Gatland’s side in Rome.
The game descended into a turgid spectacle as the two teams exchanged seemingly aimless kicks for much of the 80 minutes.
Wales failed to establish any pattern in their play as they lost the battle of the boot and left spectators frustrated at the lack of attacking intent on show.
But Byrne, clearly stung by the wave of criticism, insisted the tactics were nothing new under Gatland.
“This has been blown out of proportion,” he blasted. “Nobody complained last year when we won the Grand Slam and we probably kicked more than this year.
“A lot has been said in the media by certain former internationals that it is boring and we should be doing this and that. If they want to come in, give me a hand and talk tactics then I’ll be more than happy for them to do so.”
The statistics from Saturday’s dismal affair certainly make for fairly grim reading.
Wales took the kicking option 43 times at the Stadio Flaminio – more than twice as many as in Paris a fortnight before.
And the Italians trumped even that figure, launching the ball skywards on an astonishing 53 occasions.
In-field kicking has been a vital part of the battle for territory since the introduction of the new Experimental Law Variations, but poor execution has led to a series of dull encounters in this year’s tournament.
On the brighter side of Saturday’s offering, Wales once again ground out a victory in spite of their shortcomings – something they failed to do at the same venue in 2003 and 2007.
And Byrne insisted the Welsh camp were satisfied with their work, despite the concerns of others.
“I think people around Wales, especially the media, are probably disappointed but as a team, we are happy,” he said.
“We didn’t click that well, but we still got a result in Italy against a good side. It’s a sign of how far we have come that two years ago we would have been happy just to get the win – but we are disappointed we didn’t play that well.
“We knew what to expect from them. We knew we needed to get a few early tries, but that didn’t happen. But we have still come away with a win that we are grateful for.”
The Ospreys full-back is likely to face an aerial onslaught once again when Ronan O’Gara and his Irish team-mates visit the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
But Byrne, still seen by most as the front-runner for the British Lions number 15 jersey, is confident the magic of the Millennium Stadium will see Wales claim the 13-point victory needed to snatch the title and burst Ireland’s Grand Slam bubble.
“This side is all about Championships and that is what we want to do on the weekend – win the Triple Crown and the Championship.
“We were in this position last year and it is big pressure. I’m sure Ireland won’t like coming over to play in the Millennium.
“It’s a fortress for us and we are proud to have it as our home. Hopefully we will see another win on the weekend.”
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