British & Irish Lions
• British & Irish Lions tour Australia in 2013
Ireland Rugby
A Croke Park Thriller for Wales?
Self belief is growing in the Ireland camp, but it’s also there for Wales – could Wales’ trip to Dublin really be “the match of the tournament”. Eddie O’Sullivan believes so!
“Because of the direction we’re going and because of our own growing confidence, we could have a cracking game on our hands,”
“Wales are a difficult team to play against when they’re confident and they fire well when on top of their game.
“Both teams like to run and if it’s a dry day it will be a great spectacle.”
“We saw in 2005 that Wales built up momentum throughout the tournament and went on to win a Grand Slam.
“They’ve had some great results in recent years against the top teams in the world, especially in Cardiff.
“They play well as a confidence team and they’re in that frame of mind right now. They are a force to be reckoned with.”
It’ll be old rivalry for teams and coaches alike on March 8th, when O’Sullivan faces his old boss Gatland – he was Gatland’s assistant when he was in the Ireland job.
That said, O’Sullivan is quick to give praise to Gatland and Wales:
“New coaches have come to Wales and introduced fresh ideas, keeping the players on top of their toes.
“They got off to a good start in the Six Nations, getting two important wins.
“The way Warren is rotating the squad points to a much better spread of talent than Wales had in 2005, when they won the Grand Slam.
“That’s evident in the way they’ve moved selection around yet are still getting results.
“The Welsh team have much more depth than in 2005, but it’s a similar style of play they’re using.”