Bold opening: Wales can win by targeting Ireland’s soft spots in Dublin, if they stay disciplined and finish what they start.
Wales and Lions legend Graham Price looks ahead to Friday night’s Ireland vs Wales clash.
For many years, Welsh fans entertained hopeful visions of a Six Nations showdown with Ireland. Today, realism comes first, but that doesn’t mean hopeful progress isn’t possible.
You don’t discuss the Wales–Ireland rivalry without grounding it in facts. Wales is still a team in transition, rebuilding after a rough spell. They know the challenge facing them at the Aviva Stadium on Friday.
Yet, as any true Welsh supporter will tell you, the scoreboard never tells the whole story. It rarely does in clashes between these two proud nations.
In years to come, history may focus on last week’s Scotland win, but Wales’ revitalised performance cannot be dismissed. After back-to-back losses to England and France in the first two rounds, Wales showed they could be dangerous against Scotland, with a chance to win until the final whistle.
There were long spells when Wales looked like the team they want to be. More importantly, those moments suggested a pathway back to sustained performance if they stay the course.
That’s meaningful progress given their recent history.
For 80 minutes, Wales and its supporters felt like a team that could influence the result again. When you think about it, how long has it been since a scoreline was so tight that a disputed try could have swung the outcome?
Despite the heartbreak of losing a 15-point lead with 30 minutes left, Wales rediscovered something missing in recent seasons. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t a flawless plan, but it laid a foundation.
The task now is to turn that moment into a structured part of the game plan against Ireland, not a one-off spark.
The Aviva Stadium is a tougher away trip than Scotland at the Principality, and Ireland are powerful, settled, and comfortable at home. They’ll be minus James Lowe for the rest of the tournament, but their wide depth was evident against England and will help them cope with that absence.
Ireland’s strengths are well known: precise territorial control, low error rates, and a back line that can exploit even small defensive lapses. They pose problems for any defence, especially a Wales side that is only gradually regaining confidence.
Ireland were highly motivated in the England game, pushing everyone to peak form to score a record number of points at Twickenham. They’ll be hungry to prove that performance wasn’t a one-off.
Wales must build on the Scotland display. Under Steve Tandy, rebuilding is pragmatic, but it must be accelerated to keep pace with teams guided by longer-tenured coaches.
Wales may not have the most explosive creators right now, but if the half-back pairing uses the kicking game wisely, they can make Ireland work for every point.
Sam Costelow is unavailable after his strong return against Scotland. His replacement pits Dan Edwards against Jarrod Evans in a straight battle. Frankly, neither has filled me with confidence about closing out a game, though that may not be the focal need this Friday.
Tomos Williams and Jamison Gibson-Park will renew their rivalry, potentially shaping the match. Williams pushed hard for the number nine Lions spot before an unfortunate tour exit, and he’ll need to elevate his form to rival Gibson-Park’s current level.
Ireland’s depth up front gives them forward power to trouble Wales if the Welsh discipline slips.
One intriguing observation is Ireland’s scrum issues against Italy, with Tadhg Furlong notably ejected from a collapsing scrum. This hints at a possible vulnerability Wales could exploit through careful selection.
Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis should start, with Keiron Assiratti providing needed tighthead cover.
James Botham deserves continuation at number six after a strong showing as a substitute for Taine Plumtree, with only a blemish tied to a Scotland mishap. The same incident also involved Gabriel Hamer-Webb in Graham Darcy’s try setup, a reminder of the nerves that can surface in big games.
The bench remains a concern and has been a recurring weakness, as shown against Scotland.
On paper, this game favours Ireland, and a Welsh victory in Dublin isn’t the most likely outcome given current form, depth, and confidence in Ireland.
But if Wales plays with discipline and minimizes errors, they’ll at least lay more foundations for the future regardless of the result.
In Dublin on Friday, Wales’ aim isn’t to fear Ireland but to earn their respect by making them fight for every point.
That outcome would represent real progress.
