A first Guinness Six Nations win in Cardiff since 2013 is Ireland’s goal, as they kick off this season’s Championship against a Wales team that have reinstalled Warren Gatland as head coach.
2023 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:
Saturday, February 4 –
WALES v IRELAND, Principality Stadium, 2.15pm (live Virgin Media One/BBC One/S4C/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Connacht prop Finlay Bealham steps up for his first Six Nations start as head coach Andy Farrell makes three changes to the Ireland team that beat Australia in November.
Bealham replaces Tadhg Furlong, who is nursing a calf injury, while James Lowe swaps back in for Jimmy O’Brien on the left wing, and captain Jonathan Sexton, a late withdrawal against the Wallabies, returns at out-half.
Sexton wins his 110th cap, leading the back-line alongside Leinster colleague Jamison-Gibson Park. Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey continues at inside centre after three consecutive starts during the Bank of Ireland Nations Series.
It will only be McCloskey’s second Championship start – he made his debut against England seven years ago – and his midfield partner Garry Ringrose, Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan complete the back-line.
Leinster pair Andrew Porter and Dan Sheehan pack down with Bealham in the front row, with Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan, who moves within one game of his 50th cap, completing the tight five.
Munster captain Peter O’Mahony is the most experienced member of the pack, winning his 90th cap in the back row alongside Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier, the reigning World Rugby Player of the Year.
Prop Tom O’Toole, one of three Ulster players on the bench, is poised to make his Six Nations debut as a replacement. Reserve out-half Ross Byrne, whose last Championship appearance was in March 2021, is also rewarded for his strong recent form.
Meanwhile, returning Wales boss Warren Gatland has plumped for a mostly experienced side to take on Ireland under the Principality Stadium’s closed roof.
20-year-old Swansea-born talent Joe Hawkins makes his Six Nations bow alongside George North, continuing their centre partnership from November’s 39-34 defeat to Australia.
Captain Ken Owens is flanked by Gareth Thomas and Tomas Francis in the front row, backed by the familiar lock pairing of former skipper Alun Wyn Jones, who has played a mammoth 155 times for his country, and Adam Beard.
The six-times capped Jac Morgan (23) joins Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau in the back row, while an almost all-Cardiff and Ospreys-combined back-line has Toulon’s Dan Biggar as the odd man out.
Biggar returns from injury alongside Tomos Williams at half-back, and in a change to the team originally announced, Leigh Halfpenny (back spasm) makes way at full-back for Liam Williams.
Dragons flyer Rio Dyer and Josh Adams are selected on the wings. The 23-year-old Dyer is another Six Nations newcomer, having only played his first three Tests in November.
Guinness Six Nations Fixtures
Guinness Six Nations Table
WALES: Liam Williams (Cardiff); Josh Adams (Cardiff), George North (Ospreys), Joe Hawkins (Ospreys), Rio Dyer (Dragons); Dan Biggar (Toulon), Tomos Williams (Cardiff); Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets) (capt), Tomas Francis (Ospreys), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff).
Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rhys Carre (Cardiff), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs), Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Owen Williams (Ospreys), Alex Cuthbert (Ospreys).
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), James Lowe (Leinster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Replacements: Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht).
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Luke Pearce (England)
Television Match Official: Tom Foley (England)
Pre-Match Quotes: Andy Farrell (Ireland) –
The reason that it (our preparation for the Six Nations) has been pretty good is because there’s an appetite to get better. That’s the main point – how are we going to progress our game and what does that look like?
“Let’s go after it and let’s see what we can do. We also know that Wales are going to have a say in that, and that progression, so how we are mentally attuned is going to be key as well because we know it’s going to be a big physical battle. How we mentally handle the occasions is going to be key.
“Tadhg Furlong’s not quite ready. In fact, he’s progressing pretty well but he’s not quite there yet. He could possibly be there in the next few days or week or whatever, but we just think that Finlay (Bealham) deserves it as well.
“He’s playing some outstanding rugby at this moment in time. The last game he played, he scored a hat-trick, he’s scrummaging very well, so he deserves a start. Tadhg will keep working away to hopefully be fit for the French game.
“I thought Stu (McCloskey) handled himself pretty well (in November). He has been desperate enough to get the opportunities and do well. I think the good thing for us is that there’s more in him at this level. We’re excited to see that.”
Warren Gatland (Wales) –
There’s a mixture in the team of some experience, some younger players. We were conscious as well picking the bench. We think we’ve got a bench that can come on and have an impact.
“Ireland are the number one team in the world, so they’re going to be coming here with a lot of confidence. You don’t become the number one team in the world without having some pretty consistent performances.
“We know how good they are and we’re expecting a really tough contest. It’s important for us that we start well, but we need to be in the game at the last 20 minutes.
“We’ve only had a couple of weeks together but I’m confident that the guys will go out and give a good account of themselves. They’re pretty excited about playing this first game at home.”
Pre-Match Videos –
Opta Facts – Wales v Ireland:
– The away team on the day has not won any of the last nine Guinness Six Nations meetings between Wales and Ireland, each side winning four games and sharing one draw in that period. However, the last time the away side won in this fixture came in Cardiff in 2013, when Ireland emerged victorious by a margin of eight points (30-22)
– Wales have lost each of their last three Six Nations games, only once since the beginning of 2008 have they endured a longer run of defeats in the Championship – a four-match spell at the end of the 2020 campaign. However, each of their three recent defeats have come by margins of four points or fewer
– Wales have won their last seven matches in the Guinness Six Nations under Warren Gatland, although they have never won eight on the bounce with him as head coach. Only once before has Gatland himself won more consecutive matches in the Championship as a head coach, winning his last two with Ireland in 2001 and his first seven with Wales in 2008-2009
– Ireland have lost just one of their last eight Six Nations games (W7) and have won each of their last three by margins of 17-plus points, scoring 4-plus tries in each of those fixtures and conceding just one in total
– Ireland have won five of their last seven matches away from home (L2), including their last two in a row, this after previously losing five straight Tests outside Ireland. They have not won more consecutive games outside Ireland since a run of five straight victories between 2018 and 2019
– Wales (617) and Ireland (694) were the only two teams to make 600-plus carries in last year’s Six Nations, while only France (50) completed more offloads than Wales (45) and Ireland (39) in the Championship last year
– Ireland were the only team to have an average ruck speed under three seconds in the Guinness Six Nations last year (2.88). Defensively, Ireland (3.85) and Wales (3.76) slowed down the opposition ruck more than any other side in the Championship in 2022
– No team retained possession from kicks more often than Wales in last year’s Guinness Six Nations (19, level with England), while Ireland (4) and Wales (2) made the most 50:22 kicks in the Championship in 2022 – the four other nations made just two combined (France and England – one each)
– George North has scored 22 tries in the Guinness Six Nations, one more would take him above Shane Williams as Wales’ top try scorer in the Championship and the second top try scorer overall behind Brian O’Driscoll (26)
– North would also become the third top try scorer in Five/Six Nations history, behind O’Driscoll and Scotland’s Ian Smith who scored 24 tries in the Championship between 1924 and 1933
– No player scored more tries in the 2022 Guinness Six Nations than Ireland’s James Lowe (3, level with Damian Penaud and Gabin Villiere), while team-mate Jamison Gibson-Park recorded a joint-high four try assists in the Championship last year, alongside France’s Romain Ntamack
Recent Meetings –
2020: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 24 Wales 14, Aviva Stadium; Guinness Series/Autumn Nations Cup: Ireland 32 Wales 9, Aviva Stadium
2021: Guinness Six Nations: Wales 21 Ireland 16, Principality Stadium
2022: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 29 Wales 7, Aviva Stadium
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Source: Irish Rugby