Excitement is already starting to build in the Irish capital ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations game four tussle with Wales at the Aviva Stadium on 6th March. The match, which has been scheduled to kick off at 8:10pm on Friday, will be broadcast live on RTE in Ireland and ITV on the UK side.
Ireland vs Wales will be refereed by Englishman Karl Dickson in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd.
Ireland’s sensational showing at Twickenham on matchday three has injected a fresh and welcome dose of optimism, with the 42-21 triumph over England on their own patch keeping the Irish in the hunt for championship and Triple Crown honours.
Ahead of the action, we’ve previewed Friday’s Six Nations fixture, with the latest injury news, possible line-ups and free predictions for the game in Dublin, with odds provided by Tonybet’s extensive rugby union markets.
Ireland team preview
Ireland can plan for their match against Wales with enthusiasm following their equally stunning and unexpected 42-21 demolition of England at Twickenham, which marked their biggest ever margin of victory at that venue and an emphatic return to top form.
That display was in stark contrast to their limp performance in their Six Nations opener at France (36-14) and their nervy outing against Italy (20-13), and Ireland’s improvement was largely triggered by some brave calls in terms of team selection by head coach Andy Farrell.
Farrell made five changes to the team that started against Italy, with Jack Crowley (who scored a game-high 17 points) finally preferred to the ailing Sam Prendergast, with the latter left out of the matchday squad altogether.
Alongside Crowley, the quartet of British & Irish Lions stars Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier also started, with devastating effect.
With a rejuvenated side, Ireland unleashed a masterclass in London, with the pack laying the foundation with a dominant scrum and lineout, winning 100% of aerial contests and achieving over 70% collision dominance.
The prolific backline chipped in with five tries, three of which were dispatched before half-time, and after such an inspired showing, Farrell will be reluctant to rock the boat too much if at all possible for Friday’s meeting with Wales.
Wing James Lowe is undergoing assessment for a groin injury picked up against England, though number eight Jack Conan returns to the fold after missing the Twickenham clash due to illness.
Supporters should expect to see a very similar XV to the one that started against the English. Ireland were slick through all phases at Twickenham, with the back row of Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris proving close to unstoppable.
Ireland potential XV: Loughman, Sheehan, Furlong, McCarthy, Ryan, Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (c), Gibson-Park, Crowley, Lowe, McCloskey, Ringrose, Baloucoune, Osborne
Wales team preview
Wales’s slump, meanwhile, shows no sign of ending, and their dismal losing streak in the Six Nations was extended to 14 matches on matchday three, when they suffered a heartbreaking 26-23 defeat to Scotland in Cardiff.
The Welsh had a commanding 17-5 lead at the half-time interval, thanks to tries from Rhys Carré and Josh Adams, plus points from the boot of Sam Costelow. However, they capitulated completely in the second half and conceded 21 unanswered points to a resurgent Scotland.
Once the Scots started getting in, the feeling of inevitability in the stadium was palpable. Wales, who had already lost to England (48-7) and France (54-12), showed spirit against Scotland, but ultimately left empty-handed again.
Head coach Steve Tandy’s side has been plagued by inconsistency, set-piece woes and defensive lapses since the start of the tournament, though injury issues are threatening to compound their woes even further.
Blindside flanker Taine Plumtree is ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations with a shoulder injury sustained early against Scotland, while lock Rhys Davies has been sidelined by an ankle issue from training.
Outhalf Sam Costelow, who impressed in his first appearance of the championship against Scotland, is nursing an ankle injury, but is expected to remain with the squad and could feature in Dublin.
Wales did show flashes of promise against Scotland, most notably through the aforementioned Costelow, but they just can’t seem to find a way to stop the rot.
If the game in Dublin goes to form, Wales are likely to play second fiddle to Ireland in the scrum and lineout, and they have shown little to suggest that they can spring the unlikeliest of upsets in Dublin.
Wales potential XV: Carré, Lake (c), Francis, Jenkins, Carter, Botham, Mann, Wainwright, Williams, Evans, Adams, Hawkins, James, Hamer-Webb, Rees-Zammit
H2H record
The rivalry between Ireland and Wales dates all the way back to 1882, with 136 test matches played since. Wales hold a slight edge with 70 wins to Ireland’s 59 in the all-time reckoning, though the Irish have been too good for their neighbours in recent encounters.
Ireland’s 27-18 victory in Cardiff around this time last year secured a Triple Crown, while other historical highs include their record 54-10 thrashing in Dublin in 2002, in what was Eddie O’Sullivan’s first game as the new Ireland head coach.
In 1999, Wales edged a 27-25 thriller at the Millennium Stadium, but Ireland flipped the script 10 years later in 2009 with a 27-12 win in Dublin.
The 2015 clash in Cardiff also stands out for Welsh fans. Trailing in the second half, Wales repelled an astonishing 45 phases of Irish attack over seven minutes, a defensive masterclass that sealed a 23-16 victory and wowed the rugby-loving public.
More recently, Ireland have dominated, winning each of the nations’ last four meetings. When the teams were last paired in Dublin, Ireland enjoyed a comfortable 31-7 success, with Jack Crowley providing 11 of those points.
Players to watch
Even with bias pushed aside, there will be more individuals worth tracking closely from the Irish side than their Welsh counterparts at the Aviva Stadium.
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, whose precise service and probing runs did so much damage against England, falls into that category. His ability to set the tempo should provide the key to unlocking the Wales defence.
Elsewhere, Jack Crowley is likely to attract plenty of attention again. Chosen to start ahead of Sam Prendergast against England, the fly half delivered the goods, and his accurate kicking can keep the scoreboard ticking over again.
The speed of the emerging Robert Baloucoune should also be a potent weapon for Ireland in Dublin. The 28-year-old from Enniskillen has genuine wheels and wields the kind of explosive thrust that Ireland haven’t really had before.
Wales will be looking to Sam Costelow for inspiration again, but only if the 25-year-old is passed fit to start. Early indications suggest that the fly half should be involved, and Wales will need him to be on song again, like he was for most of their loss against Scotland.
Our expert predictions
- Ireland to win – 1/100 (1.01)
- Wales to win – 16/1 (17.00)
Unsurprisingly, Ireland enter Friday’s fixture as overwhelming favourites to power past Wales, and there is an obvious gulf between the teams in terms of form, cohesion, confidence and squad depth.
Ireland’s performance against England last time out felt like a real turning point, not least of all because Andy Farrell got his team selection spot on in terms of positioning and chemistry.
Now, with the right blueprint, Ireland can push on against Wales. However, from a betting perspective, it is a tricky tie to find some value for.
Wales lost by 40+ points against both France and England, though they did close the gap against Scotland (26-23), and if they can be similarly dogged in Dublin, they might be able to avoid a whitewashing.
With that considered, backing Wales with a +26.5 handicap at 1.82 with Tonybet might be the way to go, and should be achievable by the visitors if they can resist a fast Irish start.
If you’re planning to bet on Ireland vs Wales, make sure to dig into Tonybet’s full range of Six Nations markets, including match winner, handicap, total points and player specials, as well as a full catalogue of Six Nations outright markets.
